To The Ends of the Galaxy
by Cyberano
Summary: This fanfic is set after episode 25 of Macross Frontier. Warning: Girl love, Macross style. If this offends you, please surf somewhere else. If not, buckle up for some Sheryl x Ranka dokun doKUN DOKUN.
1. Track 1: The New Hope

**Track 1: The New Hope**

Her voice rose to a crescendo and the buzzing of wings began to cease their furious beat. One by one, the Vajra stopped their mad flight and slowly descended from the sky. Ever since the mother queen left, the Vajra that stayed behind would fly around aimlessly until they exhausted themselves or died. The most problematic groups were those that would attack random objects, which unfortunately, included the colony.

Ranka took a deep breath. At least, this group was easy to calm down. She grabbed her canister from its makeshift holster and took a sip. Since they arrived three days ago, she had been singing most of the songs since Sheryl had not fully recovered from her illness. Looking up at the alien sky, she prayed, "If there's a god out there, please let her get well soon."

She felt something on her shoulder. Her hand reached up to cup that chitinous claw. "At least, you're with me, Ai-kun."

Somehow, Ai-kun was able to sense which Vajra were going berserk. With his guidance, she and her brother flew to different places on the planet to calm them down. Ranka yawned. She wished that they would go mad during daylight hours. On average, she only got two or three hours of sleep at night before Brera woke her up to sing to another group.

"Are you ok?"

Ranka touched his arm. It was good to have him back. "I'm fine... just a little tired."

His eyebrows knit together. "They have you working night and day. It's not fair. I'll demand that they increase their efforts to finish that recording."

She waved her hands. "No, no... I'm fine really! They should be working on getting the colony up and running." Yes, it was more important to get the food production facilities working. Although the air was breathable, the colony still needed purified water and edible food. The last battle damaged many of the islands and a lot of scientists were needed to repair them. It was only through her brother Ozma's insistence that the government spared two scientists to find a way to record Ranka's song properly so that the song could be played to calm down the Vajra.

Everyone was doing his or her best, so she should too. She squared her shoulders. "Besides, I love singing! I don't mind it at all."

He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "I know... but you have to take care of yourself too. Even I can see that you're tired."

She stiffened and covered her chest with her arms. "Onii-chan! You said you wouldn't use that!"

Confusion reigned on his face for a moment before he burst out in exasperation. "I told you, I don't have x-ray vision! So just forget what Luca said!"

"But how could you tell that I was tired?"

He sighed. "I'm a cyborg, and even I feel a bit tired. We've only had 9.37 hours of sleep for the past three days, so you must be pushing yourself and staying awake with zencoffee and sweets."

Ranka smiled sheepishly. "I guess, I can't fool you. You're my brother after all."

"Yeah..." He looked around at the Vajra resting on the ground. "Are they ok now?"

Her hands reached up to hold Ai-kun's claws. "How are they, Ai-kun?"

Ai-kun responded with small high-pitched chirps. At the same time, Ranka felt a soothing warmth near her belly. "He thinks they're fine."

"Good! Let's go back and try to get some rest."

They were climbing into his valkyrie when the alert siren blared from the cockpit. Brera scrambled up and answered, "Brera here."

Monica Lange's image appeared on the communications screen. "Major, we've detected a large fold with a Vajra energy signature. The captain has raised red alert."

"Understood."

He swiftly moved to Ranka's side and assisted her towards the co-pilot's seat. "Company's coming. We're going to meet up with Macross Quarter."

Once Ranka was secured, he hopped into the pilot's seat and started the engines. As they flew to Macross Quarter, he could see the faint outline of a fold gate in the sky. He opened a channel to the bridge. "It's Brera. Do you have visual?"

Monica responded, "Yes, transmitting..."

The screen displayed a large Vajra mothership. "What's the status of Galaxy?"

"They're still trying to break the encryption on the ghost command programs, but the crew has managed to unload the fuel cells on about 70% of the ghost fighters."

"Ask them if they can override the docking control systems. If they clamp the landing gears manually, the fighters won't be able to fly out."

"Roger. I'll relay that to the crew."

Macross Galaxy remained in orbit due to the security lock on its bridge by Grace and her cohorts. Thankfully, the colonists and crew were left unharmed. Instead, Grace trapped them in the city quarters and sealed off all routes to the bridge. Once released from their prison, the crew set out to reclaim Galaxy.

Brera watched the screen for signs of attack from the mothership or from Galaxy. The mothership was advancing towards the planet. Judging from the estimated velocity readings on the screen, it would be within Galaxy's range within two minutes. Hopefully, the crew's preparations would be good enough to prevent the ghost fighters from launching accidentally. The colony was very vulnerable at the moment and provoking the Vajra to attack would undermine their efforts.

"No, Ai-kun! You don't have to come with us! It might be dangerous!"

Brera turned to see Ai-kun clinging to the wing. "It's ok, Ranka. We'll bring him on board and I'll be on escort duty."

"But... what if you have to fight?"

"I can't protect him if he's on the planet and the Quarter is no pushover. Besides, what if he wants to come?"

Silently, she tried to think of reasons why. When none came up, she sighed. "I guess, we'll be in your care."

He returned his attention to the screen. There were no attacks from either side so far. Meanwhile, Macross Quarter was ascending to orbit. They would rendezvous in about a minute. When they docked, members of SMS gathered around their valkyrie. Ozma helped Ranka down from the cockpit and hugged her tightly.

"How're you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, Ozma-nii."

"Yo, Ranka," greeted Alto.

She smiled wildly. "Alto! How are you?"

"Busy... between patrols and repairs, I've barely had time to sleep. Hey, how's Sheryl?"

At Sheryl's name, she looked away. "He must really miss her..." she thought.

"She's still a bit sick and she's resting right now."

"Give her my regards when you see her."

"Lieutenant Alto, the captain is expecting us on the bridge," said Brera flatly.

Alto glared at him, but stepped aside. With Ai-kun in tow, they headed for the bridge. Once there, Monica reported the current status.

"Based on their descent, they're headed for the queen's nest."

On the huge screen, they could see that the mothership and its entourage had passed Galaxy without any attacks. Excluding the mothership, there were about fifty fighters and two carriers.

"Any ideas, Miss Lee?" asked the captain.

"That mothership... it looks like the one from Galia 4." An uncontrollable shiver swept down her spine as images of her captivity in a mothership flashed through her mind. "It might have a queen."

"Does this mean that they want their planet back?"

"I don't know..."

Suddenly, Ai-kun grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the screen.

"What is it, Ai-kun?"

He pulled her as close as possible and then flew up to rest his claws on the image of the mothership.

Ranka's lips quivered as she tried to ask the question. "Do you... do you want us to go there...?" Internally, she prayed for a negative response.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him chirp a positive answer.

"Captain, I request permission to escort Ranka and Ai-kun to the mothership."

The captain eyed Brera for a moment before replying, "Permission granted. Use of armor packs are allowed as well. At the first sign of trouble, get out of there. We'll back you up."

"Understood. If you want to go, Ranka, just meet me in the hangar." He saluted the captain and left.

Ranka gulped and clenched her hands. Meanwhile, Ai-kun hovered near the image excitedly. After several tense seconds, she turned around and left the bridge. Ai-kun followed her right away.

She walked aimlessly until she entered a lounge area with large windows. In the distance, she could see the mothership descending. For several minutes, she stood next to the window and watched it. Meanwhile, Ai-kun hovered around her excitedly. A warm feeling rose from her belly and eased her anxiety a little.

"You don't have to go, Ranka." Ozma walked up to stand next to her. "You've done too much already. You're not some tool they can use."

Ranka lowered her eyes and leaned on the glass. "Tool or not, I think I may have to. Ai-kun really wants me to."

"If you have to go, then half the squad will come with you and Brera." He glanced up at Ai-kun. "Could you tell it to heel or something? The buzzing is kinda annoying."

She let out a little laugh. "He's very happy right now, so he probably won't listen."

"Is it because more of his friends dropped by?"

Ranka brightened at the word. Perhaps these would be friendly Vajra, and not like the ones in Galia 4. "Yeah, that might be it."

Ozma sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess we're going then."

They walked back to the hangar. Ozma adjusted her suit and assisted her into Brera's cockpit. Then they remained on standby until the Quarter was within range.

Finally, the hangar doors opened and they flew out towards the mothership. Ranka steeled her nerves as Vajra fighters flew next to them. Suddenly, Ai-kun tapped on their window and flew in front of them.

"Follow?" asked Brera.

"Yes."

Brera relayed a message to the rest of the squad and they followed Ai-kun to a large opening on the side of the mothership. They flew through several corridors and transformed to battroid mode when the corridors narrowed. Soon, they reached a large arena. In the center was a queen about the same size as the one Galia 4. Ai-kun hovered around her for a few moments before flying back and tapping on Brera's cockpit window.

"What is it, Ai-kun?" asked Ranka.

Ai-kun flew away and landed on a pod similar to the one that imprisoned her in Galia 4. When she realized that he wanted her to be in the pod, her skin broke out in goosebumps.

"I'm here, Ranka. I rescued you before and I can do it again."

She tried to swallow her fear, but her words shook out her throat. "Th--thanks, onii-chan. Can you get us closer?"

He shifted into gerwalk mode and moved carefully near the pod. The cockpit opened and the valkyrie's hand moved next to her seat. She unbuckled herself and floated into the hand. The hand moved to the pod and she floated onto it to stand next to Ai-kun. Once again, a green sphere formed around the pod to enclose them. The queen extended a large tentacle that attached to the surface of the sphere.

Their surroundings melted into dimensionless space and she felt that she was standing in a sea of stars. Unconsciously, her hand grabbed Ai-kun.

A projection of her mother appeared before her, just like she saw in Galia 4. "We have come to help."

"To help?"

"We will teach Sheryl, Ai-kun and you to be queens."

"But I'm not Vajra!"

Images of the Vajra on the planet filled the space around them. "They listened to you, so you became their queen. When Ai-kun becomes a queen, they will listen to her too."

Ranka turned towards Ai-kun and was surprised to see a younger version of herself with green skin and red eyes. "Ai-kun can become a queen?"

"Yes. When you stop speaking to them, Ai-kun can speak for you."

Her mind was trying to make sense of what she told her. During the battle, a large swarm of Vajra protected Island 1. A gasp escaped from her lips when she realized that they stayed because of her even though the mother queen and the other Vajra left the planet. "If... if I'm their queen, what will you do?"

"We will speak to them, since you do not continuously speak to them. We will speak until you learn how to speak and listen."

"I see..." She was able to sing to them, to convey her feelings. However, it did not occur to her that they needed continuous communication from the queen and vice-versa. As the images of the Vajra swirled around her, the enormity of the queen's responsibility stifled her breath.

"This is too much... Can Ai-kun do it without me?"

The projection looked so sad that she almost wanted to retract her reply. "Then Ai-kun will be their queen. But please, will you learn?"

With the burden of being queen lifted from her shoulders, her request seemed reasonable. "Yes, I will learn."

The projection of her mother smiled so warmly that Ranka wished that she really were her mother. "Sheryl and you are different. We want to listen to both of you more. We want to understand. Will you bring her to us?"

"She's sick right now. When she's better, I'll bring her to you."

"Bring her soon."

The sea of stars melted away and she was standing on the pod without the green sphere. Brera stood on the hand nearby. The speaker in her helmet crackled to life.

"Are you ok?" asked Brera, Alto and Ozma simultaneously.

Her lips curved in amusement over their timing. "Yeah..." She reached out clumsily and Brera grabbed her hand to guide her back to the valkyrie.

"They didn't do anything weird, did they?" asked Ozma.

"No, Ozma-nii. They just explained a lot of things. I think I'll have to tell everyone when we get back."

Once again, Ai-kun led them out of the mothership. After they got out, they headed back to the Quarter. As soon as they got back, they assembled in the bridge's meeting room. Ranka told them about her conversation with the queen.

"Cathy... I mean, President Glass will want to hear this." said Ozma.

The captain nodded. "I'll have Officer Hoa arrange a meeting with her, Sheryl and Ranka. Miss Lee, since you're a civilian, it's not your duty to follow any orders from the army. So I'd like to ask you a favor instead. We'd like to monitor the mothership just in case. If you don't mind, can you stay on board for a while?"

"No, I don't mind at all."

"Thank you very much. Officer Lange, can you find her the best guest quarters on the ship and make sure she gets some rest?"

Monica saluted. "Yes, sir! Leave it to me." She turned to Ranka. "Please come this way. I have the perfect cabin for you."

"Yes." She faced the SMS crew once more and bowed. "Please excuse me and thank you for protecting us!"

"No problem. Rest well, Miss Lee."

They left the meeting room. Monica led her to a cabin near the center of the ship. Once inside, Ranka was surprised at how quiet it was.

"Unlike crew cabins, this cabin is specially soundproofed for guests." She opened a cabinet. "There are spare crew uniforms here if you want to change, and towels if you want to take a bath." She opened a side door. "The bathroom is over here. If you need anything, the intercom is near the bed." She pointed to a viewpanel. "Please make yourself at home."

Ranka bowed. "Thank you."

After Monica left, Ranka took a quick shower and went to bed.

* * *

Eager to get out of the hospital, Sheryl quickly agreed to meet with President Glass when Officer Hoa asked her. Although she still felt light-headed, she wanted to get some fresh air and to stretch her limbs. As Hoa drove her to the new city hall, she was amazed at the amount of construction going on. It was hard to believe that this was going to be the new home of the colonists from Frontier and Galaxy.

At city hall, they were escorted to a waiting room. A few minutes later, the door opened to admit Ranka and Brera. Sheryl felt glad that she was not with Alto. At the thought of Alto, resentment mixed in with her relief. Since they arrived, that idiot had not spared a moment to visit her in the hospital. Only Ranka's visits broke the up the boring hours of lying in bed with only the beeping of the monitoring equipment to keep her company.

"Ranka!"

"Sheryl!"

They hugged each other tightly. Sheryl pulled away. Ranka looked cheerful, but there seemed to be circles under her eyes.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm already better, but the doctors seem to think otherwise. I'll convince them eventually. So please hang in there for a little longer. I'll do my share as soon as possible."

Ranka waved her hands. "Ah, don't worry about me. I'm quarter zentradi, so my stamina's above average. In fact, I finished second place in the long distance run at my old school..."

While Ranka chatted away, Sheryl could not help but giggle at her silly stories. The way she told them was so refreshingly innocent that she did not notice when President Glass entered.

"I hate to break your amusing conversation, ladies, but I believe we have a meeting to attend." Catherine Glass stood before the two prima donnas of the colony and nodded in Sheryl's direction. "It's good to see that you're feeling better, Sheryl. I wish you continued recovery." Then she turned to Ranka. "Once again, thank you for your efforts regarding the Vajra. We'll put this on the news. The colonists will definitely be convinced that you didn't betray us."

Sheryl narrowed her eyes. She thought that Ranka willingly volunteered to sing. Was she blackmailed into singing for them? Was this a ploy to keep her under their control? All sorts of scenarios raced through her mind as they were ushered into the president's office.

They sat down on the leather couches and exchanged quick pleasantries before Cathy asked about the mothership. Sheryl filed away her conspiratorial scenarios and listened to Ranka's story. When she heard about them being trained as queens, she blurted out, "But why me too?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her. She wants to see you."

"Sheryl, let's allow Ranka to finish her story, so we can get the big picture. Please keep your questions until she's done," said Cathy.

She had a point. Sheryl leaned back on the couch and listened to the rest of the story. After she was done, it still did not answer her previous question. Obviously, Ranka did not know either and even looked more troubled than before. If she wanted any answers, she would have to get it herself. "How long do I have to be there?"

"I don't know. Brera said that they waited for around 15 minutes."

"If we can limit my visit to two hours, then I can go this afternoon." The medication that she took had to be taken every three hours, and if she missed a dosage, she would experience severe nausea. Throwing up in front of an alien queen was not her style.

"At least, they're not attacking us. Ranka, did they show any aversion to having other people with you?"

Ranka shook her head. "Ozma-nii and half the squadron were with me. They didn't mind at all."

Cathy brightened with relief. "Since they're very receptive, let's take the opportunity to study them. I'll send a couple of scientists with you." She checked her watch. "I need some time to get a team together. So... let's meet here again around 4 PM. Is that all right, Sheryl, Ranka?"

"That's fine," replied Sheryl.

"Yes, that's ok," responded Ranka, nodding.

"Thank you for coming, ladies," said Cathy, shaking their hands in turn. "Please excuse me. I have a colony to attend to."

With that, they filed out of the office. As they walked out of city hall, Sheryl asked, "Ranka, what are your plans for the day?"

"At the moment, I'm sort of on standby."

So that explained why Brera was here. At least, it was not Alto since she could not bear the thought of them being alone together. However, she had to confirm it. "It's nice of them to assign your brother with you. I hope you two have been able to catch up over these past three days."

"Yes, it's good to have him back. He's taken really good care of me."

A wave of relief washed over her. So far, so good. "So as long as there's no trouble, you have nothing to do, right?"

Ranka shrugged. "I guess so..."

"Officer Hoa, since Brera's with us, you don't have to follow me around."

"But my orders were to escort you as necessary."

"As. Necessary," emphasized Sheryl. "Someone had to drive me to city hall, but since Brera can drive us around, there's no need for additional escorts. Besides, I heard that you've hardly gotten a break on Macross Quarter. I'm sure that there's things that you want to check up on in the colony."

"That's true..." She paused a moment to consider. "Very well... but if you need me, call right away. Major Sterne has my number."

"Of course! Just let me get my stuff from your car and then we'll meet up again at 4."

When they got to Hoa's hovercar, Sheryl took out a basket from the trunk and handed it to Brera who took it without question. After Hoa left, she turned to them and smiled brightly.

"All right then, let's have lunch! I know just the place."

With her directions, they drove near a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean. They got out of the hovercar and she led them up the hill to a shade under a tree.

"Wow! This place is nice, Sheryl!" exclaimed Ranka as she looked at the scenery. "How did you find this?"

Sheryl spread a blanket under the tree. "A geologist set up a video feed of the surveys that he was taking. I met him when I was in a bomb shelter during the battle. He visited me in the hospital and when we were talking, I mentioned how bored I was and that I wanted to go out. He offered to broadcast his surveys to the monitor near my bed. With it, I was able to review all his surveys."

"That's nice of him." Ranka knelt down to help unpack the basket. There were various sandwiches, dumplings and fruit drinks. When Sheryl lifted a pie container out of the basket, her mouth began to water. For the past three days, bland army rations made up most of her meals. Today, she would finally get some real food.

They picked out portions and put it on their plates. With quick glances, Sheryl watched Ranka eat her food. At one point, she almost burst out laughing at her expressions. She took such quick bites as if she were starving. Furthermore, her hair bobbed up and down in time with her expressions. It was said that a zentraedi's hair could sometimes be affected by his/her emotional state. Right now, that statement truly applied to Ranka.

"Slow down, Ranka. There's a lot."

"Mmmph... shiis ish weely gooo..." She swallowed. "Where did you get this?"

Her hand flew to her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle a chuckle. "My nurse is a big fan of mine. She offered to make me home cooked meals instead of serving me the standard hospital food. I asked her to make some lunch for at least two people. Looks like she went overboard."

"Pweesh thank her fooo me." She finished the last of her sandwich.

"Here, have some." She offered a slice of pie on a plate.

"Thanks!" Ranka slipped a big chunk into her mouth. At the taste of the pie, tears began to flow.

"Ranka! What's wrong? Is it bad?"

She swallowed. "No... no... it's really good. It's just... it's just... it reminded me of the time onii-chan made pineapple pie... it was so bad... this is good... why am I crying...?"

Sheryl wiped away her tears with the tips of her fingers. "There, there... it's okay..." If she knew that Ranka would cry over the pie, she would not have served it to her. She had to think of something to cheer her up. "It's good, isn't it? So savor it as much as you want... you'll forget about that bad pie."

"It was really bad... but onii-chan took really good care of me back then... He is so nice to me... He introduced me to so many new friends... So many people are nice to me... Nanase... Michel... Luca... Alto... and you..." She looked up from the plate. "I'm so glad to have met all 0f you."

Thank god that she was not cause of her tears. Sheryl offered her a tissue to blow her nose. "I'm very glad too. So cheer up, ok? Eat as much pie as you want. You too, Brera."

Her cheeks flared in embarrassment. Her brother was here. She took the offered tissue and tidied up. Meanwhile, Brera merely grunted and took another slice.

After they had their fill, Sheryl took her medicine and laid down on the grass. Her hands reached for the alien sky and framed it with her hands. After living in Galaxy for so long, she took the simulated sky for granted. However, the sky above was amazing and inspiring in its beautiful simplicity. Her lips curled to a smile and she just let go.

_Baby, what do you want to do? I'm driving. [1]  
My hands are on the handlebars and I'm standing by.  
(Do you) want my heart & want my love?  
NO!? Forget that, let's swing and KISS!_

Then Ranka's voice joined in for the second stanza.

_I say "NO" to a half-baked style.  
A LOVE that makes me soar is for me.  
Beautiful! Excuse me!  
If you wish for them, lalala, possibilities._

A shuffle next to her indicated that Ranka sat down on the grass. When it was time to sing the chorus, Sheryl tilted her head and winked at her. Ranka took the cue and sang the chorus with her.

_What 'bout my star?_

Their voices mingled in harmony. For the next twenty minutes or so, they sang several songs together while Brera accompanied them with his harmonica. They continued to sing until Sheryl stopped when she saw some Vajra approaching. Some Vajra flew around them and others landed in the grass. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok. They're just here to listen," assured Ranka.

Ashamed to show her fear, Sheryl resumed singing. For the next thirty minutes, they sang more songs. Sheryl was amazed that Ranka knew all the lyrics to her songs, and a majority of other popular tunes.

"Wow, you really know your lyrics," remarked Sheryl.

"When I like a song, I'd sing it all the time. Walking, skating and even in the shower!"

She chuckled. "That's right! When I met you, you were singing 'Don't be late'. Speaking of which..." She checked her watch. "We still have an hour to kill. Wanna go down to the beach?"

"Sure!"

They drove down to the beach and played in the sand or in the shallow water. Sheryl was trying not to get wet, but a colorful seashell caught her eye. As she bent to pick it up, she did not notice the wave coming.

"Sheryl!" warned Ranka.

The wave swept her off her feet and she scrambled to remain upright. Quickly, she waded to shore. Brera rushed over and steadied her.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes... but..." She looked down at her drenched clothes.

"Oh no! Should we go back to the hospital?"

"No, I don't have any clean clothes there. We'll have to go to my quarters."

"We may not have enough time for that. Ranka, do you have any spare clothes in my valkyrie?"

"Yes, I think I do."

"I'll call for it. Then all we have to do is go to the nearest shelter and shower."

Ranka took off her sweater and put it around Sheryl's shoulders. "There's a bit of a breeze. Let's get in the car until onii-chan gets his plane here."

"All right."

As they waited in the car, Ranka could not help but notice how Sheryl's wet clothes molded against her lithesome body, revealing its graceful contours. Her eyes wandered over shapely breasts and the dainty nub that crowned it. Her face warmed and she tore her eyes away. In an effort to preoccupy her mind with something else, she remarked, "It's so cool that onii-chan can call his plane like that."

"It's slave mode. It's standard equipment for valkyries these days."

"Wow, you know about these things, Sheryl?"

"Of course! I wasn't goofing off in that pilot course. I'm actually a pretty good student."

Ranka giggled. "But it sure looked like you were goofing off when you were trying to hold those eggs!"

A mischievous glint flashed from Sheryl's eyes. "So you think that's funny, hmmm? I'll show you the true meaning of funny!" Her hands reached out and tickled her.

"Wait... no! Stop! Hahahaha! You're... ahahahaha... weeet... ahahahhahaha!"

Meanwhile, Brera concentrated on remotely navigating his valkyrie. He landed it carefully and climbed up to the storage compartment to fetch Ranka's duffel bag. Then he walked back down to the car. A series of raucous laughter assaulted his sensitive cybernetic ears as he drew near. With his telescopic vision, he saw Ranka lying on the backseat and Sheryl sitting on her legs with one hand trapping her arms over her head and the other tickling Ranka's torso. He stopped in his tracks and wondered whether he should rush over and stop it. Another series of high-pitched giggles came. He chuckled. His sister seemed to be enjoying herself, so he waited for a couple of minutes before coming over. He assumed his usual stoic facade and opened the driver's door.

"I got the bag," he announced.

With that, the tickle fest ended. He waited for Sheryl and Ranka to buckle up before driving to the nearest newly constructed shelter. Soon, they reached their destination and he acquired permission for Sheryl shower in its bath facilities. While Sheryl showered, he programmed his valkyrie to head over to city hall on his signal.

After showering, Sheryl rummaged through the duffel bag for something that could fit her. She selected a blouse and a dress. With a bit of wriggling, she managed to squeeze into the blouse. It was a bit tight around the chest. With a pin to serve as an extension, the skirt fit around her waist. A sweater served to hide the pin and complete the outfit. When she was ready, they headed back to city hall.

President Glass met them at the lobby this time. Three scientists were with her and she introduced them in turn.

"This is Exedor Jenus, head of the Protoculture and SETI studies department. His assistants are Miles Zore and Clare LaSalle."

Dr. Jenus shook their hands in turn. "I'm so honored to meet such young and beautiful heroines! I definitely look forward to working together on this project."

"Dr. Jenus, I leave them in your care."

"Don't worry, Madame President. I'll take good care of them."

"Well then, good luck." With that, President Glass left with her aides.

He rubbed his hands gleefully. "We have a shuttle ready. It will take us to the mothership. Please come this way."

Dr. Jenus' eagerness reminded Sheryl of a rabid fan about to get his hands on her. Furthermore, he looked creepy with his zentran facial features and completely black eyes. Warily, she placed herself between him and Ranka and tried to maintain a cool, professional demeanor. "Please lead the way."

They followed the scientists to the shuttle in the parking lot. Sheryl and Ranka boarded shuttle while Brera got into his valkyrie. Valkyrie and shuttle ascended to the sky and flew towards the mothership that had landed in the huge crater where the mother queen used to be. Along the way, the skull squadron joined up with them. From the shuttle window, Ranka saw Ozma fly near and give a thumbs up sign. She waved in response.

Eventually, they reached the mothership and navigated to the large arena where the queen was. The shuttle landed and they got out. When Sheryl saw the queen before her, her mouth dropped open. Up close, she was both terrifying and beautiful to behold. It did not help that she had numerous tentacles that were busy hovering over little compartments. Each compartment contained cocoons that gave off an eerie purple or green light. The scene before her would be perfect for the set of a horror film.

"Sheryl... umm... Sheryl...?" Ranka stared at her inquiringly. When she did not respond, she reached for her hand. "Sheryl..."

"Huh? Oh... Ranka... what is it?"

"To talk to her, we'll have to stand over there, where Ai-kun, er... Ai-chan is sitting."

Sheryl followed her to the pod. As soon as they stood in the center, a green sphere enveloped them. A surprised gasp escaped from her lips and she felt Ranka's hand squeeze gently.

"It's all right. This is how she'll talk to us."

A tentacle attached itself to the green sphere. Suddenly, the arena melted away into space, and she reeled with vertigo. Ranka's hand squeezed again and somehow, she managed to reorient herself.

Beads of light gathered before her and coalesced into a person. Her heart skipped a beat when she recognized her.

"Maman...?!"

"Finally, we can speak to you. Will you learn from us?"

Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. How cruel of them to use her mother. She blinked several times to hold them back. For now, she must be strong. There were questions that needed answers.

"Why do you want to teach me?"

"We want to know more about humans and we want humans to know more about us. If we understand, then we will not fight you."

"But why me too? I'm sure Ranka can answer your questions."

"You are not Ranka. You are not Grace. You are different. Humans look alike, but are different. You and Ranka must tell us why."

"Well... that's... going to be a long story."

"Tell us. Learn from us."

"Wait... wait... I can't do both at the same time. What do you want me to do first?"

"Learn from us. The ones who want you to listen are waiting."

Images of the Vajra on the planet flashed around her. From Ranka's story, she assumed that Ai-chan was supposed to become their queen. However, the queen was implying that she was involved in communicating with them. Why should there be two queens?

"I don't understand. Ranka said that Ai-chan is going to be their queen. Why should I listen to them?"

"Because we want you to understand."

From her statement, she realized that she was supposed to learn about Vajra by becoming part of them. "It seems like they're a hands-on type of teacher," she thought wryly. She drew a deep breath.

"Very well. Please teach me."

The image of her mother glowed warmly and a euphoric sensation flowed from her abdomen and filled her body. On reflex, her muscles spasmed and her eyes closed as she savored the feeling.

"We are glad. Let's begin."

Meanwhile, the scientists set up equipment around the pod and monitored them from the shuttle. From his valkyrie, Ozma noticed that Sheryl was wearing Ranka's clothes. As he wondered why, he was reminded of a particular story among those naughty H doujinshis that he borrowed from Luca during break. In that story, a girl slept over at her best friend's house and accidentally wore her friend's clothes in her haste to leave the next morning. He shook his head to get rid of his thoughts and berated himself for even remotely associating those stories with his sweet and innocent sister.

After about twenty minutes, Sheryl and Ranka sat down. For the next hour, they merely sat with their eyes closed and their hands clasped together. Ozma went over to the shuttle.

"Hey, what's going on?"

The zentran scientist responded glumly, "Nothing much. Our instruments are unable to penetrate that sphere. We can only measure minute flow waves and heat. The best we can do is scan the queen and the sphere. If we gather enough data, maybe we can make something that will give us more measurements in the future. By the way, are you Miss Lee's father?"

"No, I'm her brother. Wait, how did you know...?"

"Your name is embossed on your valkyrie. Since your last name is Lee, I assumed that you're related. Anyway, if we find out anything, you'll be the first to know, Mr. Lee. Now if you excuse me, I have some analysis to run."

Ozma knew a dismissal when he heard it, so he went back to his valkyrie to wait. The minutes ticked into another hour before the sphere dissipated. He jumped out of his cockpit and elbowed his way to front of the pod where Brera was. Everyone seemed anxious as they watched Sheryl and Ranka open their eyes. Ranka's pet took to the air and hovered over them.

When Sheryl opened her eyes, a mixture of surprise and confusion raced through her mind at the number of faces before her.

"Yo, Sheryl... you all right?"

"Alto! Yes, I'm fine... just a bit dizzy." She took Alto's offered hand. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Ranka. Brera and Ozma were helping her up. At that moment, Sheryl was envious that she had relatives to depend on. She still remained an orphan with no one related to her. But despite that, she moved forward. With her own strength, she became the Galaxy Fairy. Besides, it was too much to hope that someone could be by her side. That strength was all that she could rely on, and it was enough. It had to be enough.

As she took a step toward Alto, she felt a tug on her other hand. Then she remembered that Ranka was holding her hand. She turned her head and caught Ranka's eyes. Those eyes seemed filled with uncertainty and perhaps, fear. But of what? A part of her wanted to erase that fear, and to reassure her that everything would be all right.

A few moments passed while she tried to sort her thoughts. Then Ranka released her hand and turned towards Brera and Ozma. At that moment, a fleeting feeling that she lost something welled in her heart. She returned her gaze to Alto.

"You haven't visited me at all," chided Sheryl. "The nerve of him," she thought. "He didn't even return my earring in person." Instead, she received it from an SMS messenger with a hastily scrawled note that said, "Thanks for your help. Get better soon. --Alto."

"Sorry. I've been really busy." He helped her down from the pod.

Sheryl stretched her cramped muscles. "How long has it been?"

"Over two hours. A lot of people were starting to get worried." His eyes shifted towards Ozma and Brera.

She rubbed her neck. "God, it feels much more than that. She totally made us work. I could use a good nap right now. But before that, there's one more thing I have to do."

She looked around and spotted the group of larvae that the queen gathered. She walked over and sang.

Aimo aimo [2]  
Ne-deru ru-she  
Noina miria  
Enderu purodea  
Fotomi

As she sang, one of the larvae crawled in her direction. She knelt down and allowed it to crawl in her hand. Meanwhile, the scientists gathered around her at a respectable distance. When she saw them, she knew that they were curious.

"The queen wanted me to take one. Like Ai-chan, this one will learn about humans by being with me. I'm sure you want to know what happened, but Ranka and I are tired and hungry, so I must ask that you wait until tomorrow morning for our story."

Obviously, they were disappointed, but they agreed to meet them at the Protoculture lab at 10 AM tomorrow. While the scientists loaded their equipment into the shuttle, Sheryl took the opportunity to talk to Alto. As usual, he was not very talkative and merely mentioned where he patrolled or the manual labor that he was forced to do. In the end, she ended up talking about the exercises that the queen made them do.

Meanwhile, Ranka glanced in Sheryl and Alto's direction as she told Brera and Ozma about her experience. "They look good together," she thought. However, her heart did not feel like losing. "I'm going to win this challenge for sure."

When the scientists were done, they boarded the shuttle. Alto and Ozma bid them goodbye since they have to do more patrols. After taking her seat, Sheryl let the larva crawl on the empty seat next to her since she did not want to hold it on her lap.

"Have you given her a name yet?" asked Ranka who sat on the other seat next to her.

Naming pets was something Ranka would do. But she was not Ranka. "Hmm, I didn't feel like naming it," she replied airily.

"Then how will you call it to you?"

"I'll just say, 'Hey, you! Come here!'"

Ranka's face scrunched up to a frown. "How mean!"

Sheryl chuckled at that funny face. "I don't need to give her a name. She already has one."

"She does?"

She offered her hand to crawl on. The larva rolled over onto it. "Don't you, Hope?"

"Hope..."

"Yes... isn't that what she represents?" She lifted Hope to the level of their faces.

Her eyes lit up when she remembered the queen's request for Sheryl to pick a Vajra. The memory spurred her thoughts. "Her hope for the day when Vajra, humans and zentraedi would truly understand each other and live in peace."

Ranka nodded. "You're right... she is." A movement near the window caught her eye and she saw Ai-chan clinging to the wing of the shuttle. "Hope... and Love..."

The shuttle stopped at Ranka's house first. Then Sheryl remembered how Ranka ate during lunch. She caught Ranka's hand as she stood up to leave.

"Say, do you mind having dinner at the hospital with me? The nurse always makes a lot of food. I'd hate to waste it."

Ranka's face glowed at the thought of food. "If it's not a bother, then please let me come!"

"Of course!" Sheryl strode over to the pilot. "Ranka's having dinner with me, so please take us to the hospital."

"Of course, Miss Nome."

They disembarked at the hospital. Since people might panic if they saw Ai-chan, Brera offered to look after him.

"With this body, I don't need to eat as many meals. I'm still full. Besides, I need to check on the status of Galaxy. So go and have dinner. I'll be right here."

"Really? Thanks, onii-chan!"

Together, they walked to Sheryl's room. After Sheryl slipped into her hospital clothes, the nurse came in with her dinner. At the sight of Ranka sitting near her bed, she stopped.

"You! Ze traitor!" exclaimed the nurse.

"Non! Non!" said Sheryl, trying to persuade her. "She's my friend! Mon amie!" To emphasize her point, she hugged Ranka.

Ranka was doubly apprehensive because of the nurse and because of Sheryl embracing her so closely. She managed to gather her wits and waved a feeble, "Hi..."

The nurse stood still for a few seconds before placing the dinner tray on the bedside table. "Please enjoy your meal." Then she left hurriedly.

Sheryl sighed. Her nurse's reaction proved that there were people who thought Ranka betrayed them. Shame filled her heart for doubting Cathy's intentions. She was just trying to improve Ranka's reputation. As she wondered if there was anything she could do to help her, her voice whispered near her ear.

"Sheryl... your dinner is getting cold..."

Embarrassed for hugging longer than necessary, she quickly pulled away. "Oh... sorry about that. She was freaking out... so I wanted to show her that you're not a threat."

Ranka clasped her hands and shook her head. "It's ok."

Sheryl pulled the adjustable tray so that it was between them and put her dinner on it. Since there was only one set of utensils, she called another nurse to bring her a plate and another set of utensils. Once armed for dinner, she announced, "Let's eat!"

Ranka picked a piece of what seemed to be chicken and took a bite. A myriad of flavors assaulted her palate and she swirled it around her tongue to savor it.

"This is great, Sheryl! What is it?"

"Coq au vin... chicken in wine sauce. It's her specialty."

They devoured the entree and moved on to desert which was a mouth-watering chocolate mousse cake. Meanwhile, Hope was sampling the crumbs left behind.

"Sheryl..."

"Hmmm?"

"If she didn't hate me, I'd ask to have dinner here everyday."

She laughed. "Don't count on it. Remember what I said? I'll be getting out of here in a few days."

"In that case, how about coming to my house for dinner?"

"Sure! I'd love that!"

Just then Ranka's phone rang with Brera's ring tone. For a moment, Ranka hesitated to answer it, afraid of the reason for his call. Then her hand dove down and squeezed it.

"Hello?"

"Sorry, the captain wants to see you. Come over as soon as you can."

The heavy sigh from her lips pulled her shoulders down. "I'll be right there." It blurted as she squeezed to hang up.

Assuming that the Vajra were going berserk, she offered, "I'll go with you."

Her statement surprised Ranka. "No, please rest, Sheryl! It's just the captain. Besides, we've had a busy day today. Don't overexert yourself. When you're fully recovered, you can spend as much time with me as you want!" The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she just said. "I mean... that is... we have to do our best to do our duties together! So... if you're better, you can stay out longer..." Hopefully, she would ignore what she said earlier. Anxiously, she watched Sheryl's reaction.

Sheryl blinked. Her thoughts were weighing the implications of her words. "Did she just say...? If she really meant that... god... what should I say?" For now, she decided to play it safe and tried to sound disappointed.

"I guess you have a point... my doctor didn't want me to go today, since he was afraid of a relapse." Ever since she fainted after singing to the Vajra the day before yesterday, her doctor had been on her case. When she decided to meet with Cathy, he immediately came to her room and tried to persuade her not to go by giving a long lecture about her health. Thankfully, Cathy called to convince him of the importance of the meeting.

Ranka smiled warmly and bowed. "Thanks for dinner! I'll see you tomorrow. Good night!"

"G'nite... and don't forget your clothes!" She reached over the side of the bed and handed her a paper bag with her clothes.

After Ranka shut the door, her world returned to the sterile emptiness of her hospital room. She leaned back on her pillows and felt something wiggling underneath her. With a surprised yelp, she jumped off her bed. Hairs prickling, she peered warily at the lump under the sheets. A green head poked out. She exhaled in relief. Scooping up Hope, she sat on her bed and stared into those beady black eyes. At least, her world did not feel as lonely anymore.

Meanwhile, Ranka and Brera met the captain in his meeting room. "Thank you for coming, Miss Lee. I'll make this brief. The colony needs more biogenerators. To get them here faster, the Quarter will meet Macross 11's supply carrier halfway. If we leave right now, we'll be back in a week. So, I'd like to know... could the queen be trusted to keep the Vajra calm?"

"I think so..."

"Do you see any threats at all?"

"She's very nice. I don't feel any violence from her."

"Please give me your honest opinion. If your brothers left right now, would you still feel safe?"

Ranka paused for a moment to recall her experience with the queen. "Yes. But I'd definitely miss my brothers."

"I'm very glad to hear that. Your brothers will be back as soon as possible."

"Thank you. But..."

"Yes?"

"If you're just going to meet the carrier, why do you need my brothers?"

"Humans aren't alone in the universe. If we meet something else out there, I want to be prepared. Anyway, I'll tell the crew to get ready. Major Sterne can take you back. Once again, thank you for coming and good night."

"Good night."

They left the room and walked quietly down the hall. When they reached the hangar, Brera asked, "Are you really ok with this?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

Ozma and Alto came over to bid her goodbye. As she hugged them, she fought the urge to cry. After they were done, Brera helped her into her seat before getting into his. Then they flew towards Island 1. Within minutes, they arrived at the Lee residence.

Although Ozma had welcomed him as a new member of the family and given him his own room, he still had not gotten a chance to stay in the house. Despite that, he was happy to hear his sister's song once more. Before she went into the house, he pulled a purple phone from his pocket.

"Here. Even if I'm off-planet, press this button and it'll connect to my valkyrie. If anything happens, just call me and I'll do my best to come over right away."

Ranka threw her arms around him. "Thanks, onii-chan! Thanks for everything!"

He hugged her tightly. "Yeah... anything for you. I'll be back soon, so take care of yourself."

"Bye..."

Ranka watched as he got into his valkyrie and flew it away. Then she went in with Ai-chan and headed toward her bedroom. She flopped down on her bed and Ai-chan landed next to her. Her hand stroked her smooth green shell. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight, Ai-chan."

Ever since the queen came, the Vajra have been well behaved. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relax and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Continued in Track 2: The Return of the Queen

Author's note: For related Sheryl/Ranka stuff, see my website listed in my profile.

Music references:

[1] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD1, What 'bout my star Formo  
[2] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD2, Sheryl no Aimo


	2. Track 2: The Return of the Queen

**Track 2: The Return of the Queen**

The audience hooted and cheered. Caught up in the moment, Ranka let out a squeal as the opening notes blared from the loud speakers. The spotlights came on and illuminated Sheryl. As she sang, Ranka swayed to the rhythm of the song along with the audience.

_Carry me! Bring me on a date through the falling stars. [3]  
Here is a rare challenge, let's ignite our ecstasy!  
Fly higher! Your chest smells sweet.  
Leave it all to me,  
I'll make you feel better, trust me.  
Sagittarius, 9pm. Don't be late._

As soon as she sang that line, Sheryl pointed her mic in her direction and spotlights focused on her. The crowd pulled away, leaving her alone. When she looked up, she was greeted by the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. Meanwhile, her phone flopped about on her bed, prompting her hand to grope around and catch it. Satisfied that it got its master's attention, it belched into silence.

As her eyelids slipped over her pupils, her half-awake mind begged, "Just a few more minutes..." The next thing she knew, the doorbell downstairs rang insistently. Irritated, she wondered who it could be and glanced at her phone. 10:23 AM.

Her eyes widened in realization. "I'm late!" She sprang from bed and rummaged through her clothes for something new to wear. Once ready, she ran downstairs and opened the door.

"Good morning!" greeted Sheryl. "We've come to pick you up." Behind her, Dr. LaSalle stood next to a hovercar.

Ranka bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry for being late!" When she straightened, Sheryl reached out. Before she could react, her fingers began to unravel the knot of the scarf around the collar of her blouse.

"It's a bit crooked..."

Cheeks aflame, she did not know what to do but wait patiently for Sheryl to finish.

"As a professional, you're expected to be punctual and presentable." Her nimble fingers tightened the knot. She winked at her. "Your fans expect a lot from you, so don't disappoint them. So, are you ready?"

"Ah, yes! Just let me lock up."

Once the Lee residence was secured, Dr. LaSalle drove them to the Protoculture lab. Instead of a formal meeting room, Dr. Jenus and Dr. Zore met them in a cozy break room.

"Please make yourselves comfortable." Dr. Jenus gestured to several stuffed chairs. After they were seated, he lifted two teapots. "Tea? Coffee?"

"I'll have some coffee," replied Sheryl.

"Umm... me too."

While Dr. Jenus poured them coffee, Dr. LaSalle put a tray laden with pastries on the coffee table in front of them. "Please help yourselves."

Ranka's mouth watered at the food. Her stomach growled at the lack of breakfast. However, she just decided to sip her coffee.

Judging from her appearance this morning, it was obvious that Ranka did not have breakfast. Her mind wondered why. "Is it because I told you to be professional?" When she saw her at the door, she felt like teasing her. Maybe, she went too far. "I didn't realize that you were so impressionable..." In an effort to get her to relax, she placed a croissant on her plate and began to eat it.

When Sheryl started eating, Ranka felt relieved and also selected a pastry to eat. She looked up at Dr. Jenus who simply smiled at her.

"Thank you both for coming. While you have your breakfast, my assistants and I would like to inform you about what we do. So please sit back, enjoy the food and listen."

The scientists explained their work in turn. Then they described the process in which they analyzed alien species. Ranka and Sheryl did their best to follow their explanations despite the sprinkling of unfamiliar terms and acronyms. Eventually, the sheer amount of information buried their minds. However, their attention renewed when they started talking about the queen.

"Since our instruments are not able to penetrate the sphere, we devised this vest and headband." Dr. Jenus showed them a simple vest modified with various pieces of equipment. A wire connected the vest and headband. "If you wear this vest, we will be able to monitor your vital signs. The headband will monitor your brain activity. Near the collar, there is a highly sensitive microphone, so even if you whisper, we can hear it."

"Measurements will be transmitted through this shielded cable. Since it must be attached to the vest, please be aware of it and watch your step." His eyes noted the empty plates. "Now, I assume that you've finished eating. If you don't mind, we would very much like to hear your story."

By coincidence, Ranka and Sheryl looked at each other at the same time. Who would go first? Sheryl decided to take the initiative.

"When I was in that sphere, it seems like the queen can talk directly into my mind. However, she spoke to me through an image of my mother."

"Really? It was my mother for me!" exclaimed Ranka.

"Interesting... this implies that she read your memories in order to take a form that would be non-threatening to you," noted Dr. LaSalle who scribbled into a digipad.

"If she can read your minds, is it possible for you to read hers?" asked Dr. Zore.

Sheryl and Ranka did not answer at once. The implication that their memories and thoughts were bare before the queen shocked them speechless. Somehow, Sheryl managed to gather her wits.

"It's... probably possible. All the exercises we did involved trying to figure out what the Vajra are doing on various places in the planet."

"Have you tried reading her mind?"

Each of them shook their heads. "No... I was so busy trying to focus on a particular Vajra, I didn't think of reading her mind," said Ranka.

"May I suggest that you try?"

"We'll try."

"By the way, Ranka, when she talks to you, does she use 'we' to refer to herself?" asked Sheryl.

"Yes, she does."

"Did she ever use I?"

Ranka shook her head. "No, not once." Then she suddenly remembered. "In fact, on Galia 4, I saw at least 5 images of my mom and they spoke to me at the same time."

"Interesting," noted Dr. Jenus. "Perhaps she speaks for all Vajra."

"In some cultures, royalty use 'we' as a symbolic way to represent the country," added Dr. LaSalle.

Then Sheryl and Ranka alternated describing all the exercises that the queen made them do. The exercises involved sensing a Vajra's location, describing the things that it saw and the sensations that it felt. The scientists hurriedly scribbled notes on their digipads.

"Are you planning to meet her today?" asked Dr. Jenus.

Ranka nodded. "Yes, after lunch. She will teach us for two or three hours."

"In that case, we'll prepare the shuttle. And speaking of lunch..." He checked his watch. "It's about time. If you like, please join us at the cafeteria."

"I'm afraid that we have plans for lunch," said Sheryl as she stood up. "Please excuse me. I'd like to call our escort."

Dr. Jenus nodded. "Of course."

Meanwhile, Ranka's hair twitched in surprise. Sheryl did not mention anything about lunch this morning or yesterday. Despite that, she was glad that she did not have to eat with the scientists.

Their escort, Lt. Lisa Maxwell, picked them up in her hovercar and drove to the edge of a large meadow. She dropped them off and Sheryl told her to come back in an hour and a half. They walked to a grove of trees that were surrounded by flowering bushes.

"Wow, these are so pretty!" remarked Ranka as she surveyed the myriad of colors around her.

"Isn't it?" Sheryl spread out a blanket under the shade.

As expected, lunch was delicious. As Ranka licked salad dressing off her fingers, Hope crawled near and sniffed her plate before crawling towards the bushes. She thought, "I wonder what it usually eats around here..."

Suddenly, the petals of the flower closest to Hope snapped in her direction. Her tail whipped forward and hit the flower. Then Hope jumped and bit the flower's stem. The flower fell to the ground. Like a cat, she pounced on it and her little legs came out to hold a wriggling petal down. She bit a piece of the petal off and began to chew.

"Apparently..." said Sheryl in voice that failed to mask her surprise and apprehension, "it's dangerous to stop and smell the roses."

They laughed nervously. Ranka looked around for Ai-chan and found her hovering over a tree with large pink flowers. Ai-chan reached out, grabbed a blossom and ate it while it struggled in vain.

Her attention was interrupted by Sheryl's proud declaiming voice. "The Vajra, the super-dimensional lifeform whose power was both feared and revered by Protoculture itself... eats flowers as part of its diet."

Ranka laughed heartily. The scientists would have a field day with this one. But just in case, they ate lunch as quickly as possible and moved the blanket away from the bushes. Sheryl laid down on it and basked in the sunlight. A rustle to her right indicated that Ranka laid down as well.

This time, it was Ranka who started singing. Their voices wove together in the melody and harmony of Infinity #7.

_Remember, on the day we decided to escape this despair, [4]  
What lay before us was nothing but the passing wind?  
The more feelings I have to convey, the more my words fumble.  
Unable to tell you anything, the truth is I live in uncertainty._

After singing for twenty minutes, they simply lay there in silence. The warmth was very comforting and the gentle breeze felt soothing over their skin.

"Mmmm... if we didn't have to see the queen, I'd take a nap right now," whispered Sheryl softly.

"Yeah... me too..."

Something brushed up against Sheryl's skirt and right thigh. Her eyes popped open as her thoughts raced with her heart. "Is she... groping me...? Is this... what you meant when you said that you won't lose to love or singing?"

Meanwhile, Ranka held her breath as the gentle pressure pushed against her left thigh. Her eyes saw the sky above her, but her mind was imagining something else. "Sheryl... you... are you..." Her hand twitched and was confused on whether to advance or retreat.

"I'm Sheryl Nome... I'm Sheryl Nome..." She repeated her name like a mantra to convince the abandoned orphaned child within her. "What would Sheryl Nome, the Galaxy Fairy do?"

"All this time, I've loved her music... adored her as any fan... and even got to be a singer like her... but doesn't she love Alto? What should I do?"

"Sheryl Nome faces life with a confident smile and a song ready. She won't back down. But you love Alto, right? Maybe... just maybe...you're ready to forget about him..."

"Alto didn't come to visit her at all. Is she lonely? But why me?" Then she remembered that Sheryl purposely looked at a very embarrassed Nanase in the shower. Her eyes widened. "Could it be... that she swings that way? If she is then... maybe..."

Their heads turned to each other in unison.

"Sheryl..."

"Ranka..."

As they stared at each other, something brushed up against their hands. Together, they looked down to see Hope crawling on their hands. She tilted her head and wagged her tail which hit the side of their thighs.

Slowly, laughter built up in Sheryl's throat. She totally misread the situation and just narrowly avoided an embarrassing misunderstanding. Propping herself up on her elbows, she picked up Hope.

"Thank goodness it was just you! I thought it was one of those nasty flowers."

Ranka giggled along. "I was thinking the same thing."

A buzzing above them indicated that Ai-chan was near. She held out a pink flower with wiggling petals.

Ranka held up a hand in refusal. "Um... no thanks, Ai-chan... we already ate lunch."

Just then, a horn honked from a distance. Sheryl turned to see the hovercar. "It's time to go."

They packed up and got in the car. They arrived at the lab without incident and boarded the shuttle with the scientists. Along the way to the mothership, the scientists fitted the vests and headbands on them. Since the skull squadron was away, half a dozen NUNS valkyries escorted them instead.

When they got there, Sheryl and Ranka sat on the pod to receive their lessons while the scientists set up their new equipment. That day's lesson was similar to yesterday's. An hour into the lesson, Sheryl gathered enough courage to read the queen's mind. Instead of the subject Vajra, she envisioned the queen instead.

Immediately, she saw images of countless places. For a brief moment, a cacophony of high-pitched melodies filled her ears. She felt warm hands around her head and then silence.

Then the queen's soft voice whispered, "It's too much for you. You must learn to listen to only what you want to hear."

The projection of her mother was now standing before her and covering her ears. Sheryl was surprised to see her so close and even more surprised to see a toddler version of herself holding her hand. However, she had green skin and dark eyes.

Caught like a child with her hand in the cookie jar, an embarassed Sheryl resumed the requested exercise. Finally, the lesson ended. As she and Ranka walked towards the shuttle, Sheryl took the opportunity to stretch her limbs.

"You're coming for dinner, right?" asked Sheryl.

"I'd love to... but your nurse..."

"I asked a different nurse this time. Plus, I want to invite another person to dinner."

"Who?"

"You'll see."

On the way back to the lab, Ranka told her that she tried as well. Her experience was the same.

"Did you understand anything?" asked Ranka.

Sheryl shook her head. "No... she shut me out pretty fast. But I do get the feeling... the sounds I heard weren't from the Vajra on the planet. It seemed more distant..."

"Like a bunch of echoes?"

"Yeah... it's like shouting on stage and the acoustics of the hall echo your voice."

"It was the same for me."

At the lab, they reported the results of their lesson to the scientists. When Sheryl mentioned what the Vajra ate, the scientists were even more excited.

"This is a wonderful discovery! This will give us insights to their feeding habits. Dr. Zore, please assemble another team and look into it."

After their discussion, they left the lab. As usual, Lt. Maxwell was waiting for them. While she drove them to the hospital, they received a call from Cathy who wanted them to do a special concert. They agreed. When they got to the hospital, they did not go to Sheryl's room. As soon as they reached a particular corridor, Ranka guessed where they were going. "It's nice of her to arrange this," she thought as they entered Nanase's room.

"Ranka! Sheryl!" greeted Nanase cheerfully.

They hugged each other. Meanwhile, the nurse entered with their dinner and placed the tray on the bedside table.

"Dinner time!," announced Sheryl while adjusting the movable tray over Nanase's lap.

Dinner consisted of lasagna, minestrone soup and tiramisu. While eating, they chatted over their lessons with the Vajra.

"Were you scared?" asked Nanase after they told her about their first day.

"Um... a little bit..." admitted Ranka.

"Since Ranka told me what to expect, I was more curious than scared," replied Sheryl. "By the way, will you be well enough to see the commemoration festival in a couple of days?"

"Festival?"

"It should be on the news," Sheryl pointed to the monitor near her bed. "Since I'm getting discharged tomorrow, President Glass asked me and Ranka to sing at the festival to celebrate the operation of the food facilities. It's an important milestone for the colony, even though there's still lots of things to do."

"I don't know... I'm not sure if I can be out for a long time."

"Tell your doctor that we've reserved a special seat near the stage for you. You won't have to mingle with the crowd."

A hint of tears formed on her eyes. "Really? Thanks! I'll ask him to let me go."

With the festival in mind, they enjoyed the rest of their meal in a good mood. After dinner, they bid Nanase good night and walked to Sheryl's room.

"Say, since you're getting out tomorrow, you won't get home cooked meals anymore. How about I return the favor and cook for you?"

"Mmmm... I don't know... I like having an early breakfast," said Sheryl with a teasing note in her voice.

Ranka blushed. "That... that was just this morning! I usually get up early to cook breakfast for onii-chan before he goes to work."

"What time?"

She counted on her fingers. "Let see... 10 AM at the lab... so how about 8:30? That should be plenty of time to eat."

"8:30 then. I'll see you bright and early. Good night!"

"Good night!"

Ranka almost skipped her way to the exit. As Lt. Maxwell drove her home, she made a list of things she needed to clean and prepare that night. By the time she got ready for bed, she had to calm the giddy feeling that had grown within her so she could get some sleep. The last thought in her mind as she drifted off to sleep was that of having a delicious breakfast with Sheryl.

* * *

The doorbell rang at 8:29. Ranka took off her apron and dusted herself. Using the reflection on the shiny surface of the refrigerator, she checked her hair before going to the door.

"Good morning," said Sheryl warmly.

"Good morning!" replied Ranka.

"I bought some fruit." She handed her a basket.

"Wow, thanks! I'll put it on the table." The fruit was added to the already crowded table with plates of bacon, omelets, hash browns and pancakes.

"This looks great!"

Ranka pulled out a chair for her. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Since Ranka's hands were on the chair, she noticed it. "Did you cut yourself?"

Ranka hid her bandaged hand behind her uninjured one. "Just a little bit."

Sheryl reached over and took her injured hand. "My mom showed me a trick to make it get better." Her head bent down and gently kissed each bandaged finger.

Ranka could only stare in shock as those warm lips pressed against her skin. Her arm broke out in goosebumps while her knees were turning into jelly. Quickly, her free hand grabbed another chair for support.

Instead of a quick peck like the one her mother did, Sheryl's lips lingered longer on those bandaged fingers that attempted to make breakfast. Each kiss showed her appreciation for Ranka's efforts. When she was done, Sheryl smiled casually. "There you go... it'll heal in no time."

"Th--thanks..." stammered Ranka. "W-we should eat... the food is getting cold..."

Once seated, they began their meal. Sheryl tried a serving of everything. The chicken omelet was especially tasty.

"This is good," remarked Sheryl. She added another serving of omelet to her plate.

Her cheeks warmed up at the compliment. "Thanks... please eat as much as you want."

They enjoyed the rest of breakfast with animated conversation about the best and worst meals they had ever eaten. By the time they started dessert, Ranka decided to ask.

"I've been thinking, Sheryl... is it really ok for me to sing?"

"Of course, it is! Why are you asking that?"

Her hands tightened around her cup of tea. "Some people don't like me. Whenever someone's nearby, I feel... like they're staring..."

She touched her arm to reassure her. "It's not your fault... it'll take time to show them that. And Cathy understands. That's why she asked you to sing... to convince them and improve your reputation."

"I suppose so..."

The aura of depression around Ranka tore at her heart; how remarkably different from usual cheerful self. It almost made her want to cry. No, she would not. If she did, Ranka would surely break down as well. She had to do something.

"Hey, how about we play hooky?"

"Huh?"

"We deserve some free time too! Let's ask the queen to let us off this afternoon. Consider it our day off." She winked.

"Is that really all right?"

With practiced ease, her lips curved to her most confident smile. "Of course, it is."

"Well... it'll be nice if she lets us..."

Once the meal was done, they put the dishes away. When Sheryl was not looking, Ranka brought her bandaged fingers to her lips. As she traced the path of that healing touch, she wondered, "Is this... an indirect kiss?" The idea sent thrills down her spine.

They waited for Lt. Maxwell who arrived promptly. As usual, they were escorted to the mothership with the scientists. At the first opportunity, Sheryl asked the queen.

"A day off?" The queen looked puzzled.

"Yes, so we can unwind a bit."

"We don't understand... is this a human mating ritual?"

"No! Not at all! I'm not sure how to explain it... Human beings need to do something else from time to time." Her mind raced to figure out how to explain it in words that the queen could understand.

"Very well, but take Hope with you. Leave Ai-chan with us. There is much for her to learn."

"Thank you." Relief flooded her heart. At least, she was spared from explaining it.

This time, they finished around 1 PM. The queen reasoned that since they were not coming in the afternoon, then the morning lesson should be longer. By the time Lt. Maxwell dropped them off at Ranka's house, they were famished. Leftovers from breakfast were hastily shoved between two slices of bread and consumed. The basket of fruit also met the same fate.

Sheryl plopped down on the couch which grunted under her weight. "She really made us work this time..."

Ranka sat next to her and rested her head on top of the couch's cushions. "I thought my head was going to explode."

"How many did you do?" For the last exercise, the queen asked them to gather Vajra and command them to fly in various patterns.

"18... when I added one more, I couldn't get them together."

"16 for me... but cheer up! You did better than me."

"Two isn't much of a difference... I'd say we're even."

"Even so, I need to catch up. Sheryl Nome doesn't back down on a challenge."

"Sheryl... about that... I... I take it back."

"Huh? But why?"

"It's not worth it... to work yourself so hard because of a challenge."

"I didn't become the Galaxy Fairy overnight. It was tough fighting my way up the charts, doing recordings and shows. So don't worry. Unlike Cathy, I'm not made of glass." She winked.

Ranka caught the pun and laughed, releasing some of her anxiety. "But still... I worry... if something happened to you... I..." Words caught in her throat and she turned her head away.

When Ranka did not continue, Sheryl looked at her. "Such an innocent girl..." she thought. She reached out and mussed up her hair as if she were a child. "You worry wart! What am I going to do with you? Everybody gets sick from time to time. It didn't help that I stretched myself thin because of the battle. But I'm better now. So cheer up! Worrying doesn't suit a beautiful girl like you."

This time, Ranka pouted. "There you go again... teasing me..."

"When Sheryl Nome gives a compliment, it's not out of politeness. She means it. Besides..." She cupped her chin and continued in a reassuring tone. "I'm not the only who thinks so. Your fans can see that just as good as me. So have more confidence in yourself, ok?"

Ranka blushed. Unable to hold her gaze, she stared at the wall over her shoulder. "Umm... thanks..."

"So cute..." she thought. She stood up and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, it's our day off. Let's go and play."

"Where?"

"I know just the place."

They left the Lee residence and went to Sheryl's suite in a luxurious hotel. When she found out that they were going to her suite, Ranka wondered what Sheryl meant by 'play'. Her heart began to beat rapidly as her imagination went overboard. She watched nervously as Sheryl looked through various pieces of luggage and rolled out a wheeled container. She opened it up.

"A karaoke player?" asked Ranka as she knelt next to it.

"Yup. Latest model. Our own virtual concert hall." Sheryl fiddled around with the controls. "Normal difficulty is too easy... superstar's what we need." She handed her a mic. "Just tell it what song you want or browse the list."

"Let's see... 'Do you remember love?'"

The screen shifted to the corresponding music video and the lyrics appeared at the bottom. To her surprise, an image of her was superimposed on the video.

Upon hearing her gasp, Sheryl giggled. She sat back to watch her sing. "Just a little push here and there, and you've managed to come this far. But you've only been singing songs that someone else sang or told you to sing. I wonder, what your heart really wants to sing..."

When the song was over, Ranka's score was 92. "Not bad..." She stood up and held up her own mic. "I'll show you what it means to challenge the Galaxy Fairy." With a commanding voice, she requested, "An Angel's Paints."

Ranka sat down and leaned back on the comfortable sofa. At first, it was fascinating to see Sheryl's face superimposed over Minmay. However, her eyes shifted over to watch the real Sheryl. Even though it was just karaoke, Sheryl sang and moved as if she was on stage. As she watched her sing, her shimmering golden-coral locks and her swinging hips mesmerized her. By the time the song ended, she was surprised to find herself sitting on the edge of the sofa cushion.

A score of 98 flashed on the screen. With dramatic flair, Sheryl twirled and held out her fingers in a victory sign. Her eyes narrowed. "And that... was just a warm up."

As Ranka stood up, her hand gripped the mic tighter. It was time for a counterattack with 'We Will Win'. This time, she moved to the beat of the song. The screen flashed a 97.

"You're getting the hang of it now, aren't you?" remarked Sheryl while she selected her next song.

She giggled. "Yeah! Watch out, 'cause I'm catching up!"

Song after song, excitement rose within Ranka. However, it was not the same kind of excitement as she felt during the Miss Macross competition. As she watched Sheryl sing, she wondered, "Is this what it feels to have a rival? Or... is it because she's listening to my songs?"

The battle of songs drew to a close after they sang ten songs each. The player tallied the total: Ranka 969, Sheryl 981.

"I lost this round, but next time, you better be ready!"

She grinned at her like a cat stalking a mouse. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Ranka shivered at the sight. Somehow, she seemed strangely sexy. Internally, she berated herself, "What's wrong with me?"

"All that singing made me thirsty. What do you want to drink?" She went to the bar and poured some hot water into a cup to make some jasmine tea.

"Um... if there's iced lemonade, that'll be great."

Her eyebrows went up in surprise. "Ranka, did anyone ever tell you not to drink cold stuff after singing?"

"Er, no..."

"Well, your throat muscles will contract when you drink something cold. And if you keep doing that, it might become less elastic and affect your voice. So I suggest that you drink something warm instead."

"Oh, I see... in that case, may I have some green tea?"

"Of course! Coming right up!" She prepared the tea and served it. Then she handed her the room service menu. "If you're hungry, here's the menu. Order whatever you want. It's on Cathy's tab."

"Wow, that's nice of her. Let me see, I'll have a slice of lemon pie."

"Good choice. I picked that one too." She turned on the view panel and ordered their choices. "It'll be here in ten minutes. By the way, Elmo dropped off some outfits for the festival. Wanna try them out?"

"Sure!" Ranka followed Sheryl to a walk-in closet. She marveled the number of outfits and was even able to recognize the ones that Sheryl wore in previous concerts. She touched one in particular. "I remember this one!"

"Do you like the design? That's one of my favorites."

"Yes, it looked so good on you!"

Sheryl pulled it off and added it to the pile of new outfits. "Why don't you try it out too?" She picked up the pile and jerked her head towards the bedroom. "Come on. I have a big mirror over here."

They went into her bedroom. Sheryl held up the outfit that Ranka saw. "How about trying this one first?"

Ranka took the outfit. "Ummm... where's the bathroom?"

"It's over there. Here, let me hold that for you." She held out her hand to take the outfit back.

"No need... I'm going to change." She turned in the direction of the bathroom.

"Huh? Why not change here? Aw, don't tell me you're shy." Ranka's cheeks began to turn pink. Her hand rose to her mouth as she suppressed a small giggle. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'll just turn around while you change." She turned so that her back was towards Ranka.

Ranka stood still for a moment. Then she put the outfit on the bed and began to unbutton her blouse.

Sheryl fidgeted in place. The rustle of clothing was putting strange images in her mind. Maybe it would better if she had changed in the bathroom. Finally, Ranka spoke.

"I'm ready."

Sheryl turned around. "You're so cute!"

Ranka held an arm over her chest. "It's a little loose."

"We can fix that... let's see..." Sheryl pulled several facial tissues from a box and folded them into two fat wads. "How about we stuff this in for now?" She reached towards Ranka.

Ranka took the tissue from her. "Let me do it myself. Umm... can you... turn around again?"

Sheryl suppressed a chuckle and complied.

"I'm done."

She turned around and promptly laughed.

"Sheryl!"

"It's because..." She steered her towards the mirror.

Her face flushed when she saw her reflection. Her chest was totally out of proportion. Embarrassed, she covered it with her arms.

"I'm sorry... it was just..." One look at the mirror renewed her laughter.

"You're so mean!" said Ranka as she removed the wads of tissue.

"But other than that, it looks nice on you. If we had a seamstress here, she'd adjust it for you."

"No, that's all right. It's your dress."

Just then, the bell rang. Sheryl opened it and got their food. Meanwhile, Ranka changed in the bathroom since she did not want to get any pie on the dress.

When she was done, they sat down and ate their lemon pies. After eating, Sheryl picked up a green dress. "How about you try this one next?"

"Ok."

Once again, Sheryl was subjected to an audio only version of Ranka changing clothes. Finally, she was allowed to look.

"Oh, you look adorable! The colors compliment your hair nicely... and it emphasizes your curves pretty well." She moved her in front of the mirror.

This time Ranka had to agree. The dress felt snug against her. She twirled before the mirror.

"The cut of the skirt is good too. It flares up just enough to show off your thighs. Your fans would love it for sure."

Ranka colored like a lobster. "Maybe it's too revealing."

"No, it's just right. Besides, you can wear gym shorts underneath."

"But still..."

"Here, try this one next." She held up another outfit.

"But I've already tried two and you haven't tried any."

"I already tried them yesterday. But just for you, I'll wear whatever you want me to wear." She began to unbutton her dress.

"Ah!" Ranka turned around so her back was to Sheryl. "Please don't just undress right away!"

"I don't mind. We're both girls. Besides, you've already seen me in the shower."

"Well, yes... but... ah! I mean, no! It was just a glimpse... I really didn't see too much..." protested Ranka, her voice trailing off.

Internally, she smirked to herself. "Gotcha... I had a feeling you were peeking over the partitions." She slipped the blouse on. "How does this look?"

Ranka turned around and immediately resumed to her previous position, covering her face with her hands. "Please wear a skirt!" But it was too late. The image of Sheryl in her light purple underwear was burned into her mind.

"But I thought I'd get your opinion on which skirt would match better. I really couldn't decide last night."

She swallowed. Sheryl needed her help, so she had to look. Slowly, she gathered her courage and turned around. As she did, she noticed something pink moving from the corner of her eye. Alarmed, she stared at the clothes bin where she last saw it. Whatever it was, it rolled from the bin and behind a tall vase.

"Sheryl... I think I just saw something..."

"Where?"

"Over there." As soon as she pointed at the vase, the pink blob hopped and slipped under the magazine rack.

With bated breaths, they watched the rack anxiously. Eventually, it crawled out and dove under the padded chair.

Sheryl's fear was replaced with anger. "Oh, no! Not again!" She ran towards the chair and peeked underneath. While she peeked, the pink blob jumped out and ran towards the window.

"Ranka! Catch it!"

With all the speed she could muster, Ranka grabbed it with both hands. It squirmed and chirped. As soon as she heard it, she knew.

"Hope! What are you doing? You shouldn't make Sheryl mad!" When Hope peered from under the pink cloth, Ranka poked the red crystal on her forehead to chastise her. Immediately, a strong, musky scent filled her nostrils. Her skin felt like it was wrapped in something silky and warm.

"What is it with Vajra and my underwear?" Sheryl quickly removed the pink garment over Hope.

A drop of sweat rolled down Ranka's forehead. Her mind had gathered the facts and presented a conclusion. "If it was... then what I smelled..." The revelation shocked her senseless. Only the bitter taste of warm blood on her lip broke her trance. Quickly, she pinched a wad of tissue to her nose. Behind her, she heard Sheryl call the hotel staff and asked them for laundry service. As another piece of evidence fell into place, the room seemed to spin and she quickly sat down.

Sheryl moved the bin near the door. "That should take care of it." Her eyes bored down on Hope. She wagged her finger in reproach. "Hope, stay out of that bin, you hear? If I ever catch you again, I'll leave you with the queen!"

Hope seemed to shiver. She wiggled out of Ranka's hand and hid under the couch.

"What's wrong with you?"

Ranka moved her hand away and stuffed the tissue between the seams of the chair's upholstery. "Ummm... I felt a sneeze coming, so... I tried to stop it." Unfortunately, her lie threatened to reveal itself when she noticed that Sheryl was standing skirtless before her. "I... er... excuse me!" She hurriedly went to the bathroom and left a very puzzled Sheryl behind.

Once inside, she leaned on the closed door and took several deep breaths. Just for show, she poured some water in the toilet and flushed it. With one more deep breath and hope that Sheryl decided to wear a skirt, she opened the door.

"Well? Should I wear purple or blue?"

Immediately, her hands went to her face. "Please just wear one!"

With all the self-control and discipline at her disposal, Ranka managed to make it through the rest of the session despite all the instances of Sheryl being in various forms of undress. In the end, she picked the green dress while Sheryl selected a light blue blouse and purple skirt.

"Say, Sheryl, what do you do in your spare time?"

"Oh, me? I like to try exotic pastries and do yoga."

"Really? I didn't think you'd be interested in yoga. What's it like?"

"It's really relaxing for me. Plus it keeps me fit and flexible. Wanna try it?"

"Is it hard?"

"No, not at all. Give me a minute to find my mats."

Sheryl rummaged through her luggage and pulled out two mats. She spread them on the floor next to each other. Then she looked at her thoughtfully.

"You need to wear comfortable clothes that won't restrict your body. Let me find a shirt and a pair of shorts for you."

Once they were adequately attired, Ranka did her best to copy Sheryl as she demonstrated various poses. Occasionally, Sheryl manually corrected her body position.

"Twist a little bit more this way," said Sheryl as her hands gently guided Ranka's hips. "Are you getting the hang of it?"

"A bit... it's tricky to find my balance sometimes."

"You'll get better the more you do it. Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's pretty relaxing, and stretching feels good."

"In that case, do you want to do it together? It would be nice if I had someone else to do it with."

"Sure! But I thought yoga was a one-person exercise. Does it require two people?"

Actually, she just wanted to know if Ranka might like to take the yoga class in the hotel's athletic club with her. Her answer indicated that she misunderstood the question. However, the misunderstanding produced an interesting question. She decided to go along. "You can do yoga by yourself or in a group. There are even poses that you can do with a partner."

"Really? Can we try it?"

She smiled warmly at her enthusiasm. "Of course. Anything you want. We'll do the easiest one, Double Down Dog. Do the regular down dog, and I will be on top to put a little bit of pressure on your back."

Ranka did as she was told. Because of her head position, she could only see Sheryl's feet. Then she felt Sheryl's hands on her hips and something soft and warm on her lower back. Her hands traveled down her thighs and pushed against her kneecaps.

"Is this too much pressure?" murmured Sheryl.

The soft pressure on her back and the sensation of her hands caressing the skin of her thighs temporarily stopped all rational thought. It took a few moments for Ranka's brain to respond. "...No..." she managed to squeak out.

"We'll hold this pose for about thirty seconds..." said Sheryl softly.

After the allotted time passed, Sheryl's hands left her knees and slowly swept upwards to settle between her thighs. "I'm going pull outward. Tell me when to stop."

Breathlessly, she whispered, "There... that's good..." Even though its purpose was to make her relax and stretch, the very fact that Sheryl had her hands where they were was causing her to tense up. Sheryl must have noticed and lessened the pressure.

"Try to relax into it... don't be tense."

She tried and at the same time, debated with herself. "It's just yoga... there's nothing wrong with her touching me... this is just part of the pose..." However, her giddy mind did little to calm her racing heart.

Finally, her hands went to her hips and she lifted herself from her back. Ranka's legs buckled and she knelt to a knee. Sheryl knelt next to her.

"Was that too much?"

She took a deep breath. "...ah... no... it felt really good."

Sheryl smiled sweetly. "I'm glad. Do you want to try another one?"

"Um, sure... but... can I be on top, this time?"

She laughed. "As you wish..."

For the next one, Sheryl went into child pose and instructed her to lie on her back so that she faced the ceiling. Although her back muscles were stretching nicely, somehow it felt less satisfactory. Disappointed at just resting on the floor, her hands twitched with impatience. Then Sheryl told her to kneel on her buttocks and apply gentle pressure on her spine. Her hands eagerly moved to comply. As her hands slid gently over her back, she could feel her breathing.

"Mmmm... that feels good right there... just a bit more... ahhhh..."

Pleased at being praised for her efforts, she continued to apply pressure as requested. When the stretch was done, Sheryl sat facing her.

"This one is called boat pose. You'll see why in a minute. Give me your hands... good. Now spread your legs apart and push against the soles of my feet. There you go... Now, here's the tricky part. We're going to lean back, lift heart to heaven and lift our feet as high as possible. Ready?"

"Yes.." nodded Ranka. Slowly, their feet rose above their hands and only their buttocks were in contact with the ground. Afraid that her head would hit the floor, she gripped Sheryl's hands tighter.

"Don't worry... I won't let you go."

That simple statement calmed her fears and she allowed herself to relax. Sheryl pushed their feet outward and she felt her pelvic muscles stretch. They held the pose for at least thirty seconds.

Then just as slowly, Sheryl lowered their feet and pulled her forward into an upright sitting position.

"How was that?"

"Wow... I can't believe we managed to keep our balance like that."

"It's not easy. I've tried it with other partners before. But with you, it lasted the longest."

Her cheeks warmed up to her praise. "Really?"

"If you think this is hard, there are tantra yoga and kama sutra poses that are much more complex." She regarded her thoughtfully. "It's pretty advanced, but maybe, you might be able to do it."

"Can you do it?"

"Of course, but I need a partner."

"I'll be your partner!"

"Are you really sure you want to try it? Usually, it's not taught to beginners."

"Please let me try!" came her confident answer.

"Alright. We'll start with an easy one."

The next series of poses were not just more complex, but required even more body contact. A pose often resulted with Sheryl's face being mere inches from her own and/or having their hands touch various places on their bodies. By the third pose, Ranka was breathing hard even though the poses did not demand high flexibility.

"Is this too much for you?" asked Sheryl softly, tickling her ear. "I can show you more later."

"I'm fine... I just... I feel like I'm floating..."

"These poses encourage your energy centers to open and activate. Do you feel a slight tingling in your solar plexus?" Her hand hovered over her torso.

If opening her energy center felt like having butterflies in her stomach, then yes, she did. "I... think so..."

"That's a good start." Sheryl lowered her limbs carefully. "The first set opens your energy center. The next set aligns the energy with your body and encourages it to flow more freely." She knelt by her mat and began to roll it up.

"Aren't we going to do the next set?"

Sheryl looked surprised. "You still want to do more? Aren't you tired? It seemed that you were out of breath after the last one."

"I... I was just trying to breathe deeply, like you said. I'm not tired at all."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to strain yourself."

"Like I told you before, as quarter zentraedi, my stamina's pretty good."

She chuckled as she knelt in front of her. "Alright. We'll do a few more poses, and then we have to go get dinner. Are you ready?"

Ranka beamed. "Yes, I'm ready!"

Although Sheryl was happy that Ranka wanted to do more, she began to see the peril in doing the advanced poses. Those poses required a lot of body contact and so whenever their skin met, Sheryl felt a slight tingle where their bodies exchanged warmth. It was as if there was a static field like the one generated by a portable light projection display. Even worse, sometimes her hands seemed to have a mind of its own. On several occassions, she had to clench her hand whenever it strayed too close to Ranka's chest or inner thighs.

The clock read 6:42 PM by the time they finished the seventh pose. While Ranka changed behind her, Sheryl could not believe that they did that many poses together given her aversion to changing in front of her. She grinned smugly to herself when Ranka took the bait of learning supposedly more advanced yoga. She expected that she would only last for one pose. However, even when she chose to end the lesson, Ranka asked for more.

"You continue to amaze me, Ranka," she said to herself as she watched her change via the reflection on the mirror. Absentmindedly, she scratched her palm. By the middle of the sixth pose, it took all her concentration and discipline not to touch the green-haired girl inappropriately. Her mind was nearly driven insane by the effort whenever her hands touched Ranka's bare skin. But Ranka trusted her, so she fought against her own urge.

For dinner, they ordered from the room service menu. While waiting for the food to arrive, they quickly tidied up the dinning table. Soon, a waiter came with their food on a cart and transformed the ordinary table into one typically found at an expensive restaurant. He finished the job by lighting two candles inside crystal vases.

Sheryl pulled out a chair for her. "Please have a seat."

"Thanks." Then the lights dimmed, further increasing the ambience of the candles. From the karaoke player, piano music began to play. Before this elegant table, Ranka felt like she was on a date. The atmosphere reminded her of scenes from teenage romance novels. Read from the comfort of her bed, her imagination tried to recreate the scene from the descriptions in the books. Right now, her imagination fell horribly short of reality.

Sheryl sat down. "Let's eat!"

As expected, the food was delicious. While they ate, they talked about the upcoming concert and their song selections. Suddenly, Sheryl stood up when a particularly moving piano solo was playing. She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and proceeded to write furiously. Curious, Ranka stopped eating and just watched her. By the time the solo ended, she straightened up and filed the paper away in a folder.

"Sorry, I just had an idea of some lyrics. I had to write it down." explained Sheryl as she sat down.

"Wow... you're so talented, Sheryl. I've never written my own song."

"Have you tried to?"

Ranka bowed her head. "A couple of times... but I couldn't get the words to work out."

"If you're up for it, how about we try after dinner?"

"Ah! I'm really not very good at it!"

"That's fine. You have to start somewhere. I have hundreds of lyrics written, but only a few ever get recorded."

Her eyes went wide. "That many?"

"Yes... you can say that those were the failures. If it doesn't work out, no big deal. I learned why it didn't work. Besides, I can always try again. Because the moment I stop trying, I stop being a musician."

Her heart filled with admiration over the girl. She clasped her hands before her and spoke in her most obsequious voice. "Oh, great songmaster! Please teach this lowly singer how to compose!"

Sheryl laughed heartily. "Stop that! I'm just an idol! I can't compare to real composers!"

She laughed with her. Eventually, they finished their dinner and moved their used dishes onto the dining cart. Then the cart was wheeled outside the room for pick up.

For their composing session, Sheryl took out a portable keyboard and put it on the table. She handed her a pen and a pad of paper. Then she sat next to the keyboard and looked at Ranka expectantly. Will she finally hear her true song?

"So, mademoiselle... what is it that you want to sing about?" asked Sheryl while she fingered the keys to play a simple melody.

"Well... I like to sing happy songs."

"Then write about your happy feelings. Think of a time when you were really happy. Then just let the words flow. You don't have to write a lot. Just enough to get started."

She closed her eyes to help herself remember. She remembered occasions when she felt happy: her best birthday party, winning the baking contest, being awarded a silver medal for track and field. But somehow, she could not remember details. The memories were too distant for her to describe exactly how she felt. She could only rely on what she felt right now. She opened her eyes to see Sheryl's smiling face.

A warm glow filled her heart as she recalled that afternoon. It was the best day off she had ever had. Her lips drew taut with determination and her fingers positioned the pen on the pad. "I don't want to forget this day... these feelings..." she thought as she began to write.

_Your song filled my lost heart  
And awakened my true self  
Your guiding hand led me  
To the promise of the future_

_One day I will find myself,  
my truth and my voice.  
So hear my heart beating  
To the melody of your song_

_Will you take my hand  
And fly with me  
In the sea of stars?_

About thirty minutes later, Ranka showed her the lyrics. "Is this enough?"

Skipping through the various corrections and illegible scribbles, Sheryl read lyrics. "Not bad for her first try..." she thought. She handed it back to Ranka.

"Yes, it's enough. It's pretty good actually... better than some of my earlier lyrics. So now, here's the hard part. You have to set the lyrics to a melody. Pick a melody and try to fit the lyrics into it. In general, you match one syllable per note. Usually, you may have to modify the lyrics a bit to get it to work. Here, let me show you an example." On a digipad, she displayed some lyrics on its screen. Her fingers played the melody as she sang the lyrics.

_Being with you is fantastic.  
My love, tell me what you want  
And I'll give it to you._

"It doesn't sound quite right, so what if the lyrics were rearranged to the right number of syllables for the melody?" Then she sang.

_Let me know what you want, I would give you! [1]  
How fantastic to be with you. My love!_

"Ah!" exclaimed Ranka, understanding dawning on her face. "That's from 'What 'bout my Star!'"

"That's right! What's on the screen is the original. I had to move things around to match the song. So now, think about a melody to go with a song. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just something that could bring out the feeling in your lyrics. If you want some ideas, you can try the rhythm maker on this keyboard."

Sheryl showed her how to adjust the tempo, pitch and instruments. After experimenting for about twenty minutes, Ranka settled on a melody.

"Hmmm... nice arrangement... it suits you." remarked Sheryl as she saved the melody in the keyboard's memory.

"Really?"

Sheryl nodded. "I think that without meaning to, a part of the composer shows through his or her song. Just like yours does."

Ranka blushed with her praise. "Does... does it sound childish?"

"Of course not! It's got a very upbeat tune. Sorta cheerful, just like you are. Anyway, I'll transfer the melody to the digipad. And then I'll link it to this scoremaker program. There you go." She handed the digipad to Ranka. "Use the stylus to move the syllables around. If you want to change the words, just select the measures and write in the new lyrics."

While Ranka was busy editing her lyrics, the phone rang. Sheryl answered it and Elmo Kridanik's face appeared on the view panel.

"Hello, Sheryl. Sorry to bother you so late. Are you busy?"

She looked at the clock on the view panel and was surprised to see 10:38 PM. Time had passed without her noticing. "No, what's up?"

"I'd like to meet with you and Ranka about the festival. Do you have time tomorrow? It'll be a couple of hours tops."

"Hmmm... Let me ask Ranka."

"Oh, she's with you?" asked Elmo, sounding surprised.

"Yes. Just a moment, please."

They agreed to ask the queen to start the lessons later in the afternoon. Sheryl relayed that information to Elmo and bid him goodnight. Meanwhile, Ranka was deeply focused on her editing. Amused, she smiled at the sight. Reluctantly, she tapped her shoulder.

"It's getting late, Ranka. You should go home."

Ranka did not look up and moved a couple of syllables before responding, "What time is it?"

"10:54."

Then she looked up. "What? Already?"

"Yes. Shall I call Lisa?"

Her eyes returned to the digipad. The stylus tapped on a syllable in a slow steady rhythm. "I guess..."

"Ok. Let me save that for you." She held out her hand.

Slowly, Ranka gave her the digipad. Sheryl saved the score and setup a link. "Here. Why don't you keep it for now? I've created a link for you to automatically display your score by selecting it."

Her eyes twinkled with joy. "Wow! Thanks, Sheryl! You're the best!"

Lt. Maxwell arrived promptly upon being called. After Ranka left, Sheryl picked up the pad. Her fingers traced her awkward script and corrections. "Such a gentle soul... so pure... who would've thought that you had such a poet in you? How could they have missed your potential?" Then she smiled smugly. "I guess it's up to me then." She laid the pad near her pillow and got ready for bed.

* * *

"What happened to you?" asked Sheryl in alarm.

"I... I had a hard time sleeping last night..." replied a drowsy Ranka as she locked up.

"You were editing all night, weren't you?" chided Sheryl as she hustled her into Lt. Maxwell's car.

"No... I really couldn't sleep." She yawned. Last night, her body felt like it had run a mile. The rush made her restless and she ended up tossing and turning until 3 AM.

By the time their morning lesson was over, Ranka looked like a wilting flower. Sheryl decided to do something about it.

"Ranka, you look awful. I'll ask Lisa to take you home. Then I'll ask Elmo to meet us at your house instead. That should give you around 2 hours of sleep."

Relief washed over her face. "Is that ok?"

She turned on her uniphone. "Yes. I'll call her right now."

After dropping Ranka off, Sheryl went back to the lab to discuss the lessons with the scientists.

"She had us harvesting food and feeding larvae. While we were gathering fruit and flowers, I noticed something..." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Their forests should be overgrown, but they're not. The same can be said of their meadows."

Dr. Zore nodded in agreement. "I've looked at all the field reports. It's as if the grass was kept in check to a certain height."

"Based on what I've seen and what she asked us to do, I get the sense that they're keeping order in their own way. If so, then those exercises were needed to command groups of Vajra to do various chores around the planet. But to do them all at once... that's the job of the queen."

"Remarkable insight! As expected from Dr. Nome's granddaughter." exclaimed Dr. Jenus.

"What did you say?"

"That you've got good instincts as a scientist."

"No, after that."

"About being her granddaughter?"

"Yes... my grandmother... did you know her?"

His eyes softened in memory. "Ah, yes! I met her once, long ago when she was still a student. At first, I thought she was the quiet type, but let me tell you, after a few drinks, she..."

Grace once told her that she had no living relatives. Her ears could hardly believe what she just heard. "Ahem... How did you know that I'm her granddaughter?"

"...and then she kicked... oh, that... we just received the research files from Galaxy. A good number of them involve you. In fact, did you know that your biological data in the Frontier servers are totally different from Grace's? For example, your records list your blood type as A, but the Galaxy files list Alpha, a very rare Mayan blood type. We had to use our most current scans of you to figure out which was real."

She paled. Why would her files be incorrect? Somewhere, there had to be answers. "So what else is in those files?"

"About Dr. Nome's research, which includes quite a lot about Vajra. Dr. Zore, did you get a chance to look at them while we were away?"

Dr. Zore nodded and flipped his digipad over so that she could see. "Yes. The files of interest to you are about your infection. These are from Grace O'Connor's private archive." He spoke her name as if he had dirt in his mouth.

"Right now, you're probably feeling minor effects of the virus since most of it is in your abdomen. However, our scans of your body show that more of it is spreading to your brain where it used to reside. Eventually, you'll be sick again. So I'm compiling a report for you to read. It should be ready this afternoon."

"And how does that help me?"

"Now that we have direct access to the queen, perhaps we can ask for her help in curing your infection or finding a way to make the virus dormant."

Her heart began to beat excitedly at the possibility of a complete cure. If she could somehow explain the infection to the queen, then maybe she could tell her the cure. "Thank you! Please send it to me when it's ready!"

Dr. Zore inclined his head. "Of course! It's the least I can do for you. As soon as we're done, I shall continue on the report."

Sheryl left the lab in high spirits. She met up with Elmo and picked up some lunch. On the way to Ranka's house, she checked her messages on her phone and found one from Cathy. She read:

The Galaxy files indicate that you are Dr. Mao Nome's biological granddaughter.  
NUNS has managed to locate several people with the last name of Nome on Earth  
and verified that they are your relatives via DNA matching. See the attachment  
for their contact information. Best regards, Cathy.

She leaned back. If it was this easy to find her relatives, how come they were not found in the first place? All those years living alone, all of that should not have happened. Why was she subjected to it? Unfortunately, the one who held the answers to her questions was out of her reach. If hell existed, she hoped that Grace would suffer an infinity of pain for her treachery.

They arrived at Ranka's house a little after 1 PM. Sheryl fished out Ranka's key that she gave her before going to sleep and opened the door. Elmo began unpacking their lunch while she went upstairs to Ranka's room. She knocked on her door. When she heard no response, she opened it quietly.

At the threshold, she stopped. Her room was filled with posters and a good number of them were of her. Her cheeks flushed slightly as her heart swelled with pride. Other than that, it was a typical girl's room with the usual sprinkling of various stuffed animals, books and a desk.

A mound on the bed and soft breathing indicated that she was still asleep. Sheryl walked over and opened the blinds to let the light in.

In response, Ranka's head turned away from the window. A lock of hair crept towards her face and covered her eyes.

Fascinated, Sheryl knelt by her bed and tucked the hair behind Ranka's ear. Slowly, her hair slid off the ear and covered her eyes again. She giggled softly. "So cute..."

The experiment was repeated several times to her amusement. On her third attempt, Ranka's hand rose and slapped Sheryl's wrist.

"Stop it... nii-chan..." came Ranka's drowsy complaint.

Sheryl smirked slyly and bent towards her ear. "Wake up... Cinderella..."

Her eyes opened with narrow slits at first before revealing reddish-orange orbs. "Ah! Sheryl!" In a flurry of motion, she pulled the bed covers over her so that only half her face was visible.

"Up and at 'em, sleepy head! Elmo's here."

"Umm... can you give me a few minutes to get dressed?" asked Ranka, trying to hide her blushing cheeks behind the blanket.

Trying her best not to laugh at Ranka's cute yet embarassed face, she replied smoothly, "Sure. Take your time. We'll be downstairs."

Once properly attired, Ranka met them at the dining table. They talked about the festival while having lunch. By the time they were done, they had selected the order of their songs and their costumes.

"Your performances will be on stage 1 at 8 PM. Here's a map of the festival and your food and token cards. To make sure that there's enough food to go around, each person is limited to 20 food credits. You have 100 tokens to spend on games, rides and whatever else you might want to buy. So feel free to enjoy yourselves. Just remember to come to the main tent at 7 PM to get ready."

"Thanks, Elmo! We'll be sure to!" beamed Ranka.

"My pleasure. Anyway, thanks for meeting me. I'm going to see the stage crew now."

After Elmo left, Lt. Maxwell came to drive them to the lab. As usual, the scientists accompanied them to the mothership.

Once there, Ranka looked around. On the first opportunity she asked the queen. "Excuse me, where's Ai-chan?"

"She is being prepared." The queen pointed to a very large cocoon on the far wall.

"For what?"

"To learn from you."

She tried to get the queen to explain more, but after getting several cryptic replies, she gave up. Instead, she concentrated more on the lesson to make up for a rather dismal performance in the morning.

When they were done, Sheryl asked Ranka to go ahead. "I'll bring some dinner and meet you at your house."

Although puzzled, she complied. After she left, Sheryl told the queen about her infection, using Dr. Zore's report as a reference. It took a lot of rephrased sentences and mental images, but finally, the queen seemed to grasp the concepts. The projection of her mother looked thoughtful.

"We must confer. When we have an answer we will tell you."

She sighed. It would have to do.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranka decided to visit Nanase who was reading her email on the portable terminal. They talked about what had happened since her last visit.

"And then we did yoga. It was tough at first, but then I got the hang of it and she even taught me advanced moves."

"Wow, I didn't know that there's advanced yoga! What's it called?" asked Nanase who opened a link to Frontier Encyclopedia.

"Hmm... I think she mentioned Tantra... and also the kama sutra."

Nanase's fingers danced over the keyboard, typing the words for the search command. "Here it is!" She selected a search result and displayed it. "Whoa... Tantra Yoga is a branch of yoga that focuses on developing and releasing sexual energy from one's energy centers..." She fell silent. Her eyes were moving rapidly, indicating that she was speed-reading.

Ranka's jaw dropped in horror. The partners in the pose were nude. As soon as Nanase moved the cursor over the search result for kama sutra, Ranka knew that she had already finished reading the article. Somehow, she must stop this. Her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area. Then, with all the clumsiness at her disposal, she proceeded to trip on the power cord.

The screen blanked off. Nanase stared at it for a moment before looking up. "Ah! Ranka! Are you alright?"

As she slowly picked herself off the floor, she pretended to wince. "Ow... I'm ok... Sorry... I think my foot got tangled up in the cables."

"No, it's my fault! I move the terminal around so much; the cables are all over the place. Are you sure you're ok?"

She rubbed her knee. "I'm fine. I just landed hard on this knee. I'll ice it when I get home."

"You should ice it now. We're in a hospital, so the nurse can look at it right away." Nanase called a nurse who fetched an ice pack for her supposedly bruised knee.

Determined to switch topics, Ranka talked about her plans for the festival. She tried to phrase her dialogue to make Nanase think that she wanted her opinion about certain things. Thankfully, Nanase took the bait and did not mention yoga. Using an excuse to meet Elmo about the festival, Ranka took the opportunity to leave.

Once at home, she fired up her terminal and did a similar search. After reading half of the articles and watching the videos, she had identified all of the poses that they did together. As she leaned back on her chair, the enormity of her crime hit her like a meteor. "I've... I've corrupted Nana-chan!"

They were wrong about Sheryl Nome. She was not just the Galaxy Fairy. She was secretly the Galaxy Pervert. And then there were the poses. Oh, the price of truth! Finally, she understood why she could not sleep on that night.

However, that was not the worst part. She knocked her forehead on her desk as she remembered the thrill as she did those poses with her. "I... I loved every second of it... I'm... I'm the worst!" She banged her forehead again. "I'm just as perverted!"

Then she stiffened. Sheryl was coming over for dinner. Once more, her head hit the desk. How could she face her?

* * *

Monica's face appeared in a subwindow on his screen. "Major Sterne, the crew has finally cracked the lockout on the bridge. A copy of the core dump of the bridge computer systems has been received."

"Please send them my best regards for a job well done," replied Brera.

"Yes, Major." Monica saluted and signed off.

Brera connected the link cable to his terminal and the data jack behind his ear. After spending the last two days doing drills in the simulator with skull squadron, data crunching was a welcome diversion.

With a goal of looking for anomalies that might harm Galaxy, he systematically shifted through the data and made recommendations for the crew to check. On his second sweep, he noticed it. The number of ghost fighters that were launched, destroyed and docked was not equal to the original total. As he was about to do a search on missing fighters, Monica's voice blared from the terminal's speakers.

"All pilots ready for battle! I repeat, all pilots ready for battle!"

He rushed to his valkyrie and received a quick briefing. Macross Quarter had received visual of the carrier and detected three concentrations of fold waves near it.

Meanwhile, the bridge continued to monitor the situation. Monica zoomed in on the fold gates and confirmed the appearance of Vajra carriers. "Vajra carriers have arrived! Detecting launch of fighters!"

"Engines on overdrive! Launch all valkyries within striking distance!"

As they sped towards the supply carrier, Falina, the crew watched helplessly as the overwhelming numbers of Vajra wiped out the carrier escorts. Then one of the Vajra carriers rammed into the Falina and punctured its hull.

"Valkyries have launched!" reported Monica.

"All hands prepare for attack mode!"

The Quarter transformed and prepared its main gun. Two Vajra carriers turned in its direction and opened their large jaws. Blazing beams raced towards the Quarter. With agile maneuvers, the Quarter dodged the beams and at the same time, closed the distance between the carriers. Sticking its main gun in a Vajra carrier's maw, it obliterated the carrier.

While its main weapon recharged, Alto and Brera took the opportunity to fly into the other Vajra carrier and detonated the contents of their armor packs inside. Meanwhile, Ozma and the rest of the squadron picked off the Vajra fighters near the Falina.

The last Vajra carrier extracted itself out of the Falina. It began to retreat.

"Oh no, you don't!" roared Ozma. He flew close and launched a barrage of missiles at the retreating carrier. Suddenly, all the Vajra fighters concentrated their attacks on the Falina.

"Protect the carrier! We need those biogenerators!" commanded Wilder.

Reluctantly, Ozma broke off and rushed to defend the Falina.

From his valkyrie, Luca detected the concentration of fold waves. "Simon! Peter! Follow it!" He confirmed that his ghost fighters were speeding towards the Vajra carrier before assisting Ozma.

In due time, the Vajra fighters were destroyed. All Quarter maintenance crew rushed to the Falina to repair it.

"Damage report from the Falina is in... they've lost one of the biogenerators and several crates of parts."

The lines on the captain's face furrowed with worry. Based on their past experience with the Vajra, they never resorted to piracy. At least, Luca ordered his fighters to follow the carrier.

"Setup long range scanners to find Lt. Angelloni's ghost fighters. If there's a nest nearby, I want it found."

"Yes, sir!"

Around thirty minutes passed before Monica reported, "3 IFF signatures detected on a planet about 3 light years away... Lt. Angelloni's fighters and MG-A55H01E."

"MG? Contact Major Sterne."

Monica opened a channel and Brera's image occupied the main screen. "Brera here."

"MG-A55H01E. Is that Galaxy's?"

Brera's face grew grim. "Not just Galaxy's. It's Grace's personal fighter. That fighter was specially modified with an enhanced slave mode from Grace and also has a spare cybernetic body in its storage compartment."

The captain leaned back into his chair. "Tell me more about it. Come over ASAP."

"Yes, sir." He signed off.

"Officer Lange, contact Major Ozma and Captain Stirling. Ask them to join me in my meeting room."

Meanwhile, Brera flew back to the Quarter. In his rage, he gnashed his teeth so hard that he bit his lip. As blood dripped to his chin, only one thing occupied his mind: that damn bitch was back.

* * *

Track 3: The Calm Before the Storm

* * *

Music references from Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD1

[3] Sagittarius 9pm. Don't be late  
[4] Infinity #7

Yoga videos: search on youtube with these keywords:  
Partner Yoga Positions : Boat Pose  
Partner Yoga Positions : Assisted Downward Facing Dog Pose


	3. Track 3: The Calm Before the Storm

**Track 3: The Calm Before the Storm**

Biting the tip of her thumb, she paced back and forth across her room. Her thoughts were in turmoil over what she should do. Should she confront her? Should she pretend that she never discovered the truth? Maybe, she should call Nanase... No, after what happened, that would definitely be a bad idea. Since she could not discuss it with her usual confidant, she found herself at a loss.

The doorbell wailed like a messenger of doom. She froze in place. Only when it rang the third time did she take a step. Each step seemed to hasten the beating of her heart. Internally, she told herself to calm down. Once in front of the door, her cheek muscles pulled her lips to a wide grin and her hand grasped the knob. With a deep breath, she opened it.

"I'm back!" greeted Sheryl.

"Welcome back!"

"Sorry, for the delay. I had to do a few more exercises with the queen and it took longer than I thought. Anyway, I got your favorite dishes at Nyan, nyan's." She held up a paper bag with the familiar logo on it.

"Nyan, nyan's? But how did you know about that place?"

Instead of replying, Sheryl flipped her phone open and pressed the touchscreen. The Nyan, nyan commercial with her in it began to play on its screen.

Her face was aflame. Somehow, she looked so childish and silly. "Aaah! Why do you have that?" She had an urge to delete it and her hand subconsciously leapt for the phone.

Anticipating her intent, Sheryl kept her distance. "A memento of your early work." she replied slyly. "And I keep it to remind me to visit it someday. Anyway, let's eat!" She moved away and began to unpack their food.

Defeated, Ranka hung her head for a moment and exhaled a long sigh. She walked to the table to help. "Are they ok? Last I saw, the windows were all smashed up."

"Unfortunately, it still is. But they've installed temporary wooden panels and with the production facilities online, they've been able to get enough stock to open for business."

Her eyes brightened with relief. "I'm so glad! It's a really nice restaurant! It's too bad you only got take-out. You should really eat there."

Offhandedly, she mused, "Hmmm... I wonder if I could find someone to take me there. I wouldn't know what to order."

"If... if you want, we can go tomorrow after our morning lessons. Their lunch dim sum is really good!"

"That's a good idea! I've never had dim sum." She handed her a paper plate with utensils.

Sure enough, she had ordered several of her favorite dishes and soup. Strangely, the take-out containers were brimming with more than the usual serving size. But how did she know? "Umm... who told you about my favorites?"

"The cook." She put several helpings on her plate. "He told me that a scrawny girl like you should eat more. He said to put more muscle in those skinny arms that could barely lift a pile of plates."

Her eyes smoldered with indignation. "What!? Why that old coot! Wait till he gets a piece of my mind..."

"Now, now... that can wait till tomorrow. Mmm... this is really tender and juicy..."

"Isn't it? Their Sesame Peking Beef is marinated overnight..." Glad for a diversion, she told her about their special dishes.

When she was done with her meal, Sheryl broke a fortune cookie. "You will discover your new self."

"You're supposed to add, 'in bed' at the end." suggested Ranka.

"You will discover your new self in bed." She giggled since it sounded rather silly. "What did you get?"

Ranka broke hers and read it. "Your talents will be recognized and rewarded in bed."

"Hahahaha! That's a good one!" Then she smirked to herself. "Especially if it actually happens..."

Ranka bit off a piece. "Don't forget to eat yours, ok? Otherwise, it won't come true."

"Really? I better not miss out this fortune." She popped the cookie pieces in her mouth.

Dinner earned Ranka a brief respite from her predicament. However, once the dishes were cleared, she no longer had an excuse to ignore it. She glanced at Sheryl and was surprised to see her looking at her with a soft expression on her face. Why was she staring? As if to answer her question, Sheryl spoke.

"You look a lot like your mother."

Her hand involuntarily went to her heart. "How... how do you know that? Have you seen her?"

Sheryl nodded. "Dr. Zore showed me some research files. There was a picture with your mother and my grandma in it. I bet you'll grow up to be as pretty... no, probably prettier than your mother." She leaned her cheek on palm of her hand. "They worked together on many things, your mother and grandma. Anyway, if you want to know more, check your email. Dr. Zore said that he was preparing a report for you. He might've sent it already."

Still blushing from her compliment, she reached for her phone in her pocket. "Oh, let me see... Ah, here it is!" It belched and displayed recent email. Her eyes read the message greedily. "He put it on the lab server. C'mon, let's check it right now!" Finally, she had full access to files about her mother and her own past. Finally, she could regain what she had lost.

Once in her room, Ranka tapped on the keyboard to turn off the terminal's screensaver. When the screensaver disappeared, her heart skipped a beat. Like a homing missile, her finger pressed the power button with deadly aim. The screen hid its contents in a sea of dispersed electrons.

A drop of sweat rolled down her forehead and she chanced a peek at Sheryl who stood next to her. She simply stood there and said nothing. At that moment, Ranka was certain that she saw what was on the screen. She wanted to crawl in some deep dark hole and forget what just happened in the last 20 seconds.

Sheryl knew that Ranka would eventually find out. However, she did not expect her to find out so soon. Ranka's finger was still on the power button. She took a deep breath and hoped that she could handle it.

"Ranka, I'm sorry you had to see that aspect of yoga. Those poses that you saw... you don't have to do them nude. It's just that some people decided to modify it that way. Over time, many branches of yoga were created. There's even a branch more suited for zentraedi flexibility. So it's not surprising that some people prefer to do it in the nude. But in the end, no matter what branch it is, the essence of yoga remains the same. So I believe that as long as you maintain the spirit of yoga, then it doesn't matter if other people modified it in a perverted way. And besides, I've done those poses with my previous yoga instructor, fully clothed, of course. So it's perfectly ok to do them with other people." Anxiously, she watched Ranka from the corner of her eye. A few seconds passed, before she spoke.

"Sheryl..." She did not look at her.

"Yes?" she responded timidly.

"I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed early."

"Oh, that's right. Sleep well, okay? And don't worry about coming down. I'll lock the door behind me. Good night."

"Thank you. Good night."

Once outside, she called Lt. Maxwell who showed up promptly. As they drove around the block, she recognized a van. Lt. Maxwell and her other hidden friends were probably shadowing them. A feeling of gratitude rose within her. At least, someone would be watching over Ranka. She made a note to send Cathy some flowers in thanks.

Cradling her head between her hands, she sighed heavily. She should have stopped despite Ranka's insistence. Giving in to temptation exacted a heavy price and yet, she did not regret doing all those poses. But it was no use crying over spilt milk. She leaned back on the seat and watched the stars wink beyond the shattered dome of Island 1. Hoping that at least one would grant her wish, she asked for Ranka's forgiveness.

* * *

The next day, their usual camaraderie was replaced with trite pleasantries and awkward silence all morning long. Every second of it tore at Sheryl's heart. Hopefully, Ranka would be more open during lunch. On their way back from their lessons, she gathered her courage.

"Say, Ranka..."

"Umm, yes...?" Her tone was distant and guarded.

Internally, she winced. Masking her disappointment, she spoke casually. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited Nanase to lunch."

Ranka paled. Since she was worrying all night, she forgot about lunch. And to make matters worse, Nanase was coming. "Why?" she squeaked, her voice constricted by her mortified thoughts.

Sheryl blinked. She thought that Ranka would be happy if Nanase was there, but for some reason, Ranka seemed really scared. "Your co-workers were asking about her, so I told them I'd invite her. She's meeting us there at the private booth that I've reserved."

Her thoughts were in a jumble. Canceling right now would probably hurt Nanase's feelings and disappoint her co-workers. The shuttle was already landing at the lab and right on schedule, she saw Lt. Maxwell's car driving into the parking lot. It was too late to make any excuses. Internally, she wailed, "Why is this happening to me?"

Ranka's dread grew as they approached Nyan, nyan. As they were escorted to the booth by one of the waitresses, she steeled her nerves and put on her most cheerful face. Nanase was already there, with her wheelchair folded neatly against the wall.

"Ranka!"

"Nana-chan! How are you?" She hugged her gently.

"I'm doing fine. Sheryl! Thanks for inviting me!"

Sheryl hugged her. "No problem. Besides, it's good to get out of that stuffy hospital." She winked.

"In that case, thanks again! Oh, and I hope you don't mind, I ordered us some tea and appetizers."

Sheryl took the seat across from Nanase, leaving Ranka standing. "Thanks! We're starving! The queen made us work today." Her heart sank when Ranka sat next to Nanase.

"Really? What did you do?"

"She had us teleporting Vajra instead of flying them. I thought my..."

As they chatted away, Ranka's thoughts preoccupied her. "Sheryl Nome... who are you? The Galaxy Fairy... Nanase's savior... a friend... a rival... a pervert..."

Just then, a man and his young son stopped by their table. "Hello, are you Ms. Nome?"

"Yes, I am." replied Sheryl.

"My name is Leo Berstein and this is my son Eddie. We were in the same shelter with you during an attack. We just wanted to thank you for singing. It really calmed Eddie down."

"It was all that I could do, and I'm glad that it helped in a small way."

He pulled out two Row 1 tickets. "We'll be cheering for you at the festival!"

"Thank you! Please enjoy the show!"

Ranka watched them leave. She felt ashamed as one more description was added to the list. "...a bringer of hope." Subconsciously, she poked at her food. Was she blowing it out of proportion? Her thoughts went back to Sheryl's explanation last night. "She did it before with her teacher... and she was only teaching me... it was just yoga." Somehow, a part of her wished that it was not just yoga. She shook her head slightly to get rid of that feeling.

"Is something wrong, Ranka?" asked a concerned Nanase.

"Uh... no... I was just savoring the food. I kinda missed it." She lifted her cup to her lips.

"Yeah, me too! I think I'll order some stuff to go. Oh, and by the way, thanks for telling me about yoga... Ah! Are you ok?" Nanase's hand immediately pounded on Ranka's back.

Upon hearing the word, Ranka spat out her tea. She pretended to cough while she tried to think of something to change the topic. "Why did she have to bring it up now? What am I supposed to do? But wait... why is she thanking me?" A quick glance at Sheryl revealed nothing since the teacup that she was sipping from obscured the lower half of her face. However, Ranka imagined that she was probably amused by her predicament.

"Erhmm... th-thanks, Nanase... I'm ok now."

"Whew... I was worried for a second there... anyway, I've added yoga to our list of things to try. Oh! It's so nice to have a boyfriend to do stuff with!"

"What?! You have a boyfriend?!" exclaimed Ranka.

"My, did I forget to tell you?" Nanase giggled girlishly. "Luca confessed to me about a week ago. We're a couple now."

"It was about time, Luca... good for you!" praised Ranka silently. She held Nanase's hands. "That's wonderful, Nana-chan! But if you do yoga, please don't do it, y'know... you don't have to... and besides, you just started dating."

This time, Nanase blushed beet red. "Ranka! You know me better than that!" She looked away demurely. "Really, I'm an innocent girl at heart... I'd never dream of doing something like that before I got married. Ah! The things you're making me say!"

Ranka was indeed surprised to know about Luca. However, she was even more surprised that Nanase was not repulsed by nude yoga. She sighed. Maybe, she was blowing the issue out of proportion. But still, her heart ached. Why did she care so much? She glanced at Sheryl once more and her attempts to see the expression of her face were foiled by the napkin that she was using to wipe her mouth.

"Even Nanase isn't bothered by it." With that in mind, she let go of her feelings and focused on Nanase.

"We should celebrate! Why not invite him over for dim sum when he comes back?"

"Oh, that's a good idea! I'll email him as soon as I can." Suddenly, her eyes grew concerned. "By the way, have you gotten email from Alto or your brothers lately?"

Ranka squeezed her phone. "I got one from Ozma-nii about three days ago. Why do you ask?"

"Luca emails me almost everyday. I understand that sending messages over foldspace takes time, but I thought that it shouldn't take this long."

Ranka was almost afraid to ask the question. "Um... Sheryl... did you get any from Alto?"

Sheryl checked. "No. If you're worried, let's just ask Cathy. I'll do it right now." Her nimble fingers flicked across the touchscreen of her phone.

Relief washed over her. "But she's real busy isn't she?"

She winked. "I don't think she would be if it concerns a certain pilot. Besides, she'll probably ask one her aides to check."

A drop of sweat rolled down her temple. Discovering this side of her brother was new to her, but she was happy that there was someone who loved him.

They left the restaurant in high-spirits. Nanase returned to the hospital with take-out in tow while Sheryl and Ranka went to the queen for a short afternoon lesson. Once lessons were over, they headed for the festival.

Sheryl rummaged through a duffel bag and extracted a pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. "This one's for me. Here..." She handed the bag to Ranka.

Ranka peered inside. She saw more sunglasses, hats and scarves. "What's this for?"

"Disguises. So no one will bother us."

She looked at her dubiously. "Are you sure this'll work?"

Smiling slyly, she replied, "Guaranteed! Why, I had a really long conversation with a beautiful fan of mine, and she didn't even recognize me until I sang Diamond Crevasse."

Ranka colored. "That's because... I... oh, never mind!" Her hands dove into the bag.

Sheryl pretended to suppress a chuckle, but her heart was jumping for joy. At last, Ranka was talking to her normally. With mirror in hand, she checked the fit of her hat and the sunglasses. Then she handed the mirror to Ranka who also checked her disguise as well.

Lt. Maxwell drove them to a secure location at the festival. When they arrived, she got out first and opened the passenger door. "Please meet me here when you want to leave. If you need anything, call me right away."

Sheryl smiled gratefully. "Thank you for everything. I hope you get a break to enjoy the festival, Lisa."

"I will. Please enjoy the festival." She saluted smartly and left in her hovercar.

Sheryl sat on a nearby bench and unfolded the map. "So... where to?"

Ranka's eyes studied the map. "I'm really full, so I feel like walking a bit. How about market row?"

"Sounds good to me." nodded Sheryl.

Using the map, they walked to market row. The place was bustling with people browsing goods and sellers hawking their wares. They wandered around until something caught Ranka's eye in a jewelry booth.

"Look, Sheryl!" She lifted the pair of earrings to eye level. "They look exactly like yours!"

Sheryl carefully examined them. "Yes, it seems so." She took off hers and held it next to the pair for comparison. "You're right!"

Ranka smiled widely and handed the seller her token card. "I'll take these, please."

"Copy cat." chided Sheryl teasingly.

"You're wrong." Instead of an explanation, she pressed the box with the earrings into Sheryl's hand.

Sheryl stared at the box. "Are you...?"

Ranka winked. "You're missing one, right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Just say 'thank you'."

Her expression softened. "Thank you."

"So, what are you waiting for?" Ranka winked coyly.

Sheryl smiled gently and took the lid off. "Can you put it on for me?"

Ranka felt her face warm up. She did not expect this. Her hand poised over the box for a moment before picking up an earring. Then Sheryl leaned down and presented her ear. As she clipped it to her ear, she felt like a guy giving jewelry to his girlfriend.

When she was done, Sheryl swiveled her head slowly. "How does it look?"

Ranka wished that the hat was not obstructing the flow of her hair. She could almost imagine those golden-coral locks swinging in the sunlight. "It looks great!"

"Thanks." Sheryl grabbed her hand. "Let me get a little something for you too."

Ranka followed her lead. "Oh, you don't have to..."

Within half an hour, they spent almost all the tokens on their cards. As Sheryl stuffed her last gift into her already packed new purse, Hope chirped a complaint and crawled out to perch on her shoulder. "Ah, that was fun!"

Ranka nodded in agreement. "Since we're almost out of tokens, want to waste it at the arcade?"

"Sure!"

And waste them, they did. After some ufo catcher games and several rounds of dance dance revolution, their cards were empty. The only thing left to do was to watch the stage shows. As they looked through the show schedule, Sheryl's eyes caught an interesting entry.

"There's a kabuki show on stage 3 at 6 PM. We can grab some dinner and watch it before the concert."

"What's playing?"

"Tales of Princess Sakura"

Ranka's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. "Is that related to Alto's role?"

Sheryl read the show description. "Yes. It's not the full production, but is based on it. Looks like it's performed by Alto's troupe."

"Let's go see it!"

With that, they spent their food tokens and made their way to stage 3. The play was worthy of the troupe's reputation and was quite a spectacle to behold. When the final curtain fell, they stood up with the rest of the audience in applause.

"That was so awesome!" remarked Ranka as they walked to stage 1.

"Yes, quite. The actor for Princess Sakura did a great job."

At the word actor, Ranka's heart skipped a beat. "Wait a minute... are they all guys?"

Sheryl stared at her. "Yes, all the actors are guys."

"But if that's the case... then the love scene..." Her hand went to her mouth.

Goosebumps broke out on Sheryl's skin. Judging from Ranka's reaction, she realized it as well. It was no small wonder why Alto was very sensitive about being mistaken as a girl. At least, he could take comfort that Sakura's lover was played by his brother. No, wait, perhaps that was even worse. At that moment, she felt very sorry for Alto.

They met Elmo near stage 1. He showed them to their dressing room and gave them digipads. "Please check your track list. I'm going to get your costumes, so I'll be right back."

Ranka was almost done with her list when she felt her stomach churn. She put the digipad down. "Sheryl, I need to go to the restroom."

Sheryl nodded. "Ok."

Ranka wandered around and tried to find it. After five minutes of wandering, she regretted leaving the map behind and asked someone. After she was done, she walked quickly to their dressing room. About a few feet away from the door, she heard voices and stopped in her tracks.

"If you give me a chance, I promise to make you happy and protect you forever."

Her eyes widened in recognition. It was Saotome Yasaburo. She pressed her ear on the door to hear better.

"I'm sorry, but I..."

"Forgive me for saying this, but Alto... Alto was just pretending... he's an actor, so you see..."

"And a very good one. Even if it was just pretend, his kindness gave me strength. So I..."

"Ah! There you are, Ranka!"

Ranka flinched and turned around to see Elmo carrying two bodysuits. "Umm... yes?"

"Here are your suits. I've programmed them with the outfits you've selected. Try them out and see if they work, ok?"

Ranka held out her arms and accepted the suits. "Ok."

"I'll be in the soundbooth if you want something changed." He checked his watch. "35 minutes to show time. Please be at stage 1 five minutes before."

"Ok." nodded Ranka.

Just then, the door opened. Yasaburo stood at the threshold, his body turned sideways towards Sheryl. "Please believe me. I'm the one who's not pretending."

"I'll keep it in mind." replied Sheryl.

"Thank you." Yasaburo inclined his head and left.

Ranka entered and closed the door behind her. "Elmo asked us to try these suits." Although she said it as casually as possible, her mind was already wondering about the conversation with Yasaburo. From what little she heard, it seemed that he just confessed to Sheryl.

"Alright, let's check them out." Sheryl identified the bigger suit and took it. She began to undress.

Ranka immediately turned around. "I guess I should undress too..." she thought. She put the suit on her dresser and unbuttoned her blouse. By the time she had one foot in the suit, she noticed a flash of light behind her. She turned around to see Sheryl in her concert clothes modeling in front of a mirror. Then with a tap on her hip, the dress changed. Ranka gasped in surprise.

"What's wrong?" asked Sheryl.

"The dress... it changed..."

Sheryl looked at her with a puzzled expression. Then understanding dawned on her face. "Oh, you mean this? It's a holosuit." She tapped her left hip three times. The dress disappeared and she was wearing the suit.

"Wow... you mean we can change dresses just like that?"

"Yup. To turn it on and off, press this area on your left hip three times. To change to your next outfit, press this area on your right hip once."

"That's really cool! Elmo had me change dresses during my concert. It was tough trying to change so fast." Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "But wait... if we can change dresses this easily, why did we have to try all those dresses at your place?"

Sheryl quickly glanced at her watch. "Oh, no! I forgot to tell the soundbooth about a track change. Gotta go." She strode to the door.

Ranka called after her. "Sheryl!" But already, the door was closing behind her.

She sat down on her chair. Her behavior could only mean one thing. Her hands rose to her face. "She tricked me again!"

Irritation and indignation mixed together in her heart. Who would have thought that she was so mischievous? Her image of Sheryl crumbled even more. And perhaps, it ought to. Her hands clasped together on her lap. "Is this the real you?"

As her reflection stared back at her, her lips curved up in determination. "I guess I'll just have to hang in there and find out."

After testing her suit, she went to stage 1. Sheryl was already there with Elmo.

"Oh, good. You're here. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" answered Ranka cheerfully.

"Come this way." beckoned Elmo.

They followed him to an area under the stage. He gestured to a platform. "Step over here and face the red light. When the light turns green, the platform will go up to the stage. There's going to be a lot of fog in the beginning, so watch your step." He held his thumb up. "Go get 'em!"

Finally, the light turned green. Sheryl winked at her. "I won't lose."

Ranka smiled back in challenge. "Neither will I."

Together, they rose to the stage.

* * *

As usual, Ranka woke up to the music from her phone. She squeezed it off. Her eyes wandered across the posters in her room. She grinned widely. Last night's concert was awesome. She only wished that she was in the audience to watch Sheryl instead of performing. Her only consolation was Elmo's promise to give her a copy of the concert recording.

She stretched, feeling her muscles ache. Today was back to normal. Reluctantly, she got up to change.

Lt. Maxwell and Sheryl arrived on schedule. As they were headed for the lab, Ranka took the opportunity to ask.

"Did you hear from Cathy yet?"

Sheryl nodded. "Yes. She emailed back and said that her aide is looking into it. They'll let us know by the end of the day."

Her shoulders drooped in disappointment. "I see."

The day seemed to stretch indefinitely. After they finished dinner, Sheryl's phone finally rang. Ranka hovered near, impatient for news.

"I see... thanks again. Bye." Sheryl turned off her phone.

Her heart sank when she saw her expression. "What did she say?"

"They tried, but their message only got to the third relay and stopped. The fourth relay wasn't responding."

"Relay?" repeated Ranka, confused.

"There are irregularities in foldspace, so they drop relays to bypass them and retransmit the signal to the next relay. Without the relays, it'll take days to send and receive messages."

A sense of dread washed over her heart and she staggered as if she was struck. "Is there anything we can do?"

Sheryl shook her head sadly. "Cathy's looking into it. She said that she'll try to send a team to the location of the fourth relay. However, by the time it's ready, the Quarter may already be back. By the schedule, they should be back within three days." Her hand squeezed her shoulder gently. "For now, let's believe in them."

Her hand rose to cup hers. "Yeah."

* * *

The next day, Ranka woke up later than usual. Their composing session lasted until midnight, and Ranka extended it even further by editing at home until 1 AM. She quickly gathered her things and stuffed them in her purse. In her haste, she knocked her purse from her desk. As she cursed while picking up its contents, she noticed a purple phone. Then she remembered. With shaking fingers, she turned it on and pressed the button. It rang for a few seconds before a synthesized voice responded.

"Brera Sterne is unreachable at the moment. Please leave a message and it will be sent via uni-link." It beeped.

"Onii-chan! It's Ranka! Cathy hasn't heard from the Quarter, so... so I just wanted to check. Please tell me you're ok." She paused for a moment. "I love you! Bye!"

She hung up. The screen displayed that the message was being sent. Ranka watched it for a minute and it was still displayed the same text. She gave up and put it in her purse.

That day's lesson was more grueling than usual. This time, the queen asked them to teleport Vajra off the planet. As she stepped off the platform, her brain felt like it was going to explode. She swayed for a moment before a hand steadied her.

"Are you alright?" asked Sheryl who looked just as exhausted.

"I just felt a bit dizzy." She squeezed Sheryl's hand gently to reassure her.

Suddenly, something held her other hand. Alarmed, she turned and saw a young girl who looked almost like her except for more reddish skin and large dark pupils. She was wearing a lab coat tied with string.

"...Ai-chan?!"

"Lan-ka..." responded Ai in a high-pitched voice. Then she turned to Sheryl. "Ch-ril..."

Finally, she understood the queen's explanation about Ai-chan. As they walked to the shuttle, the Dr. Jenus and Dr. LaSalle gathered around them.

"Amazing, isn't she?" remarked Dr. Jenus. He pointed to a broken cocoon. "She just hatched an hour ago."

Dr. LaSalle handed them two memory disks. "We recorded her 'rebirth'. It's very fascinating. I've also included scans on her anatomy. She may look human, but she is still Vajra underneath."

Ranka took hers. "Thanks. I'd love to see it."

The look on Lt. Maxwell's face when she saw Ai was priceless. After they explained what happened to her, she relaxed to her usual self. Along the way to Ranka's house, they talked to Ai and found out that she only knew how to say their names. However, she seemed to understand what they were saying. They began to teach her more words. When they arrived at Ranka's house, Ranka went upstairs with Ai-chan to pick out new clothes while Sheryl unpacked their dinner.

Before dinner, Ranka inserted the memory disk into the player. The player's screen sprang to life and Ranka sat at the table with Sheryl, Hope and Ai-chan. Together, they watched Ai-chan's rebirth.

"She has wings?" exclaimed Sheryl.

In response, Ai-chan slipped her insect-like wings from under her sleeveless shirt and showed them proudly.

"Yeah. I only saw them after I took off the lab coat. That's why I gave her that shirt."

Sheryl's eyes went back and forth from the video and Ai. "The queen did a pretty good job on her body. It's just like a girl's."

Ranka blushed in memory. "Way too much like a girl's..." she said silently. It did not help that Ai-chan had no sense of propriety and had her legs spread out while she sat on the floor and tried to awkwardly put on some underwear. Since she was having such a hard time, Ranka was forced to help her.

"Yeah. We have to teach her how to act like a girl her age."

"We? Is she like a daughter then?" asked Sheryl playfully.

It took a few moments for the implication of her question to sink in. "Eh? No, what I meant is... you know, as her guardians..." As soon as she said that, she felt like she was digging her own grave. "No, I mean, we're like teachers, you see. And Ai-chan is our student." There. That argument should clarify her intent. A drop of sweat rolled off her temple.

"Well, she certainly resembles you. She could be your sister."

"I wonder why she looks like me. I guess we'll have to ask the queen tomorrow."

They finished their dinner and spent the evening teaching Ai. Ai learned at such an amazing speed that they were in awe of her intelligence. Around 10 PM, they decided to call it a night. Sheryl and Hope bid them good night and left with Lt. Maxwell.

Ranka helped Ai change into pajamas. Then she led her to Brera's room. She gestured to the bed. "You can sleep here, Ai-chan." However, Ai left the room.

"Ai-chan? What's wrong?" She went back to her room and found her curled up in the pet bed that she slept in when she was still in Vajra form.

"No, Ai-chan! You're a girl now, so can't sleep there." Once again, she tried to bring her to Brera's room, but she resisted. Ai looked rather uncomfortable on the pet bed, so it was strange for her to want it. Then she realized. Since she was a larvae, Ai had always stayed in her room.

Ranka reached out and mussed up her stringy hair. "I'm sorry. Did you want to stay with me?"

Ai nodded.

"Ok, but you can't sleep here. It's too small for you. I'll get you another bed tomorrow, so for now, you can sleep with me.

Ai smiled and threw her arms around her. "Ranka!" she chirped.

She led Ai to her bed and tucked her in. She was about to lie down when her phone rang. Who could be calling so late? Impatiently, she squeezed it and answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Ranka! It's Elmo. I have super-duper good news for you! Galactic Records is going to reopen for business and want to sign you on as an idol. If you agree, I'll draw up the contract."

She could hardly contain her excitement. "Is it a good company?"

"Yes. They were very successful at Macross Galaxy. They're really good at promoting their people. In fact, if you sign up, they'll ask you to do a kick-off concert right away."

She almost yelled into the phone. "Yes, please look into it!"

"Will do! Good night!"

"Good night!"

Her heart was giddy with joy over the news. However, it had been a long day so she snuggled into bed and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Ranka greeted the morning with a yawn. She had to wake up a little earlier to give her time to prepare herself and Ai. They had a bit of breakfast and dressed up afterwards. When Ranka checked her purse to make sure she had her keys, she noticed a purple blinking light. She fished out Brera's phone. Her eyes widened when the display indicated that the message was sent and that a new message was received. Quickly, she checked it and read, "Tel# Ca#hy##rac# #s #ac#." It seemed that the message was garbled. Unable to make sense of it, she showed it to Sheryl while they were in route to the lab.

"I'm guessing that the first part is 'Tell Cathy'. So I suggest that we forward this message to her. Maybe she can make sense of it." She took out her phone and brought up her number. "This is her direct line."

Ranka forwarded the message and hoped for the best.

At the end of their morning lessons, they asked the queen about Ai.

"It was her choice." replied the queen simply.

As they got off the pod, Sheryl remarked, "Since you raised her, she must think of you as her mother."

Ranka sighed. "I guess so." Suddenly, her phone squealed. She squeezed it. "Hello?"

"Ranka, it's Cathy. I got your message. Can both of you meet me for lunch?"

Excitedly, Ranka relayed the question. "It's Cathy! She wants to meet us for lunch."

Sheryl nodded. "That's fine with me."

Ranka spoke into the receiver. "Yes, we can. Where will we meet?"

"My office. Are sandwiches ok?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Good. Come over as soon as possible. Good-bye."

"Bye."

They discussed the lesson with the scientists as quickly as possible. Then they asked Lt. Maxwell to drive them to City Hall. Upon arriving, they were escorted to Cathy's office.

Cathy stood up from her chair. "Welcome, ladies. Please have a seat. Lunch will be served in a bit. How are both of you?"

They exchanged pleasantries and told Cathy about what they had done that morning. Ten minutes later, an aide with a food cart came. They selected their sandwiches and were served coffee.

Cathy sipped her coffee. "Now then, on to business. Ranka, where did you get this message?"

"I got it from my brother's phone."

"Is it a Galaxy model?"

"I'm not sure." She pulled it out of her purse and handed it to Cathy.

Cathy turned it on. "Yes, it is. And from the looks of it, a prototype for uni-link."

"Uni-link?"

"Yes. It's the next generation fold communication system that was being developed at Galaxy. Do you mind if I keep this today? I'd like the Galaxy engineers to check it out. It may give us a clue on how to contact the Quarter."

"Yes, but on one condition. Don't take it apart. I'd like to know if my brother leaves me a message."

"Of course. I'll specifically ask them not to do that. Now the next order of business is the content of the message. I don't wish to alarm you ladies, but I believe it is a warning."

"What kind of a warning?" asked Sheryl.

"Something has happened to the Quarter and its relays. This message is very short, which from my military experience, indicates that Major Sterne is concerned that it might be detected and tried to reduce the risk by keeping it short. The malfunctioning relay and this message imply that someone is interfering with Quarter's communications."

"So someone doesn't want us to know what's going on with the Quarter." stated Sheryl darkly.

"Most likely." She held up Brera's phone. "But now, we have an alternative. The Galaxy engineers may be able to reconstruct the message. However, we don't have to wait for them because we know the nature of its contents. Ladies, I believe we must prepare for the worst. We must be ready to fight."

Sheryl's eyes narrowed. She had an idea what Cathy was asking for. "So what do you want us to do?"

"Command the Vajra and assist our fleet. The last battle destroyed a lot of our warships. We have built the minimum needed to protect us from the Vajra on this planet. The military's resources are still used for stabilizing the colony. We need all the help we can get."

"You would use them as a shield?" said Sheryl with an angry note in her voice.

At her tone, Cathy's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Her anger deflated with her apology. However, she was surprised at her own reaction. "Why did I feel that way?" she wondered. However, Ranka answered her question indirectly.

"The Vajra are not our tools. They're our friends." said Ranka. "If we ask the queen, I'm sure that she'll help us."

Cathy smiled ruefully. "You're right. My apologies. I guess I have to work on my alien diplomacy." She laughed at herself and Sheryl and Ranka laughed with her. Then she coughed into her hand. "Ahem... In that case, will you both go to the queen and ask her this afternoon?"

"Of course." responded Ranka confidently.

They enjoyed the rest of their lunch with random conversation. When they were done, they left with Lt. Maxwell who drove them back to the lab. As soon as they had a chance, they explained the situation to the queen.

The queen looked thoughtful. "You may use everything except a carrier and its fighters. We need them."

Her statement puzzled Sheryl. "It sounds like you're not going to fight."

"This is your battle. We do not wish to fight unless needed."

"Then, will you teach us how to fight?"

"Yes. We shall begin now."

By the middle of the lesson, Sheryl felt like throwing up. Ranka's tight grip on her hand indicated that she was probably feeling the same way. The combat exercises took place in space and her point of view consisted of feedback from twenty different Vajra.

The queen's voice spoke through her haze of vertigo. "Do not use your human eyes. Feel it. Go with the flow."

Sheryl tried to but could not feel whatever this flow thing was. When the queen announced the end of the lesson, she flopped down on the pod. Meanwhile, Ranka leaned on Ai.

A movement caught Sheryl's eye. A Vajra drone landed near the shuttle. Its body cavity undulated and a gush of green goo spewed from its mouth. Then as quickly as it had come, it flew away.

Then the queen spoke. "Take these crystals and learn to feel the flow."

Sheryl propped herself on her elbow and called out, "The queen says there's crystals in there. Can someone pick it up?"

Dr. Jenus stared at the goo and then at Sheryl. "Of course." He and Dr. LaSalle went into the shuttle and rolled out a huge canister on wheels. Dr. LaSalle positioned a large hose over the goo and turned on the machine which began to suck the goo into the canister.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jenus fiddled with the scanner. His face was painted with incredulity and his fingers quickly tapped over the scanner's control interface. Then his jaw dropped. "This... this is... a fortune in flow crystals!"

The hose slipped from Dr. LaSalle's hands but she managed to grab it again. Curious, Sheryl got off the pod and helped Ranka down. "What's going on?"

By this time, Dr. Jenus' hands were shaking. "She gave us a lot of flow crystals, just like the one in your earring. Deculture! Look at the purity!"

At the moment, she was too tired to sympathize with his elation. "Please do us a favor and clean them up. The queen wants us to use them."

It took a moment before Dr. Jenus responded, "Yes, yes, of course. Dr. LaSalle will put them in a cleansing bath when we get back to the lab.

"Thank you. Now if you excuse us, we're really wiped out."

In consideration for their condition, the scientists decided to delay the discussion until tomorrow morning and only made them wait for the crystal cleaning. Sheryl and Ranka each received a box of crystals.

"Say, Sheryl... can we do more composing today?" asked Ranka shyly.

Her eyebrows went up as she slipped the box in her purse. "I thought you were tired."

"Well... a little bit, right now. But after dinner, I'll have rested by then. So... can we?"

Those pleading eyes caught her off-guard. "Ah... sure, why not? We can order dinner from the hotel menu."

"Thanks, Sheryl! You're the best!" Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around Sheryl's right arm and hugged it tightly to her chest. It was only when Sheryl's arm tensed up that she realized what she had done. Immediately, she withdrew. "Ohmigod... now she must think that I'm weird," she thought.

Meanwhile, Sheryl's heart was racing. Except for holding her hand, Ranka did not touch her since the yoga incident. Her spontaneous action caused goosebumps to break out on her arm.

"Sheryl! The best!" This time, Ai latched onto her left arm.

Ranka's hand involuntarily went to mouth. Sheryl looked rather surprised while Ai was grinning happily for all she was worth. "Is that how we looked like when I hugged her?" Embarrassed, she scolded Ai, "That's enough, Ai-chan! You shouldn't cling to her while we're walking."

Ai looked sad and pulled away. "When sit, is ok?"

"No."

"When sleep is ok?"

"No."

"Only Ranka is ok." She bowed her head.

Ranka exhaled a long sigh. She did not like how this conversation was turning out. "It's a bit complicated, Ai-chan. I'll explain it to you when we get home."

Then Sheryl reached for Ai's hand with her left and Ranka's hand with her right. She held them up. "Now, now... There's a lot of me to go around, so let's all walk together." Although she smiled casually, inside she was laughing hysterically at their dialogue. It took all her self-control to remain calm. What amused her most were Ranka's efforts to stop Ai from touching her. It left a warm glow in her heart.

"Sheryl! The best!" proclaimed Ai cheerfully.

"Geez, Sheryl..." However, she made no move to take her hand away. At least, Sheryl did not seem to think that what she did before was weird.

Hand-in-hand, they walked to the parking lot where Lt. Maxwell was waiting. They got in the car and were driven to Sheryl's hotel. At the front desk, they ordered dinner before going to Sheryl's room.

Once at her room, Sheryl prepared the keyboard and digipad. Ai sat down with Hope in her lap to watch them. After thirty minutes or so of composing, their dinner arrived.

Ranka watched in admiration as the table was transformed. She loved the ambiance as well as the food itself. This time, three plates instead of two were arranged. Of course, Ai would be eating with them from now on. The phrase, 'Two is company and three is a crowd.' came to mind, and the ambiance of the table seemed diminished.

After dinner, they resumed composing. While Ranka was trying to modify the melody on the keyboard, Ai began to sing along. To their amazement, they heard the words of the melody and along with the basic instrumental tune of the harmony.

"How are you doing that Ai-chan?" asked Ranka.

"Just sing," replied Ai.

"She's like a bird," guessed Sheryl. "Her vocal chords are probably not the same as ours. Can you sing this, Ai-chan?" Her fingers danced across the keyboard. The first set of notes was in piano while the second set of notes was in violin.

Ai-chan imitated the melody. The piano and violin parts were not that clear but still recognizable.

"Amazing..." said Ranka in awe.

"Looks like we have ourselves another rival." said Sheryl jokingly.

"I sing like Ranka and Sheryl!" said Ai-chan. "Teach please!"

"Hmmm... she has a point, Ranka. Maybe we should stop for now, and teach her more basics."

"I suppose." agreed Ranka reluctantly. She saved her song and switched off the digipad.

They taught Ai-chan more words and social behavior until 10 PM. At that point, they decided that it was time for bed. After Ranka and Ai left, Sheryl scooped up Hope and was surprised at her weight.

"My, you're getting bigger. No wonder my shoulder hurts." She poked her forehead. "I'm going to have get a bigger bag for you."

Hope chirped and ran to her pillow. It sank with her weight as she curled up on top. She chirped again.

"Yes, yes. Time to sleep." With that, she went to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

* * *

Before they left for the lab, Ranka ordered a futon to be delivered to her house for Ai. Then she checked her phone for messages. Finding none, she waited with Ai for Lt. Maxwell.

The morning lessons began with the use of the flow crystals. This time, with the crystals in their hands, it was much easier to command individual Vajra.

In fact, Sheryl grew accustomed enough to try a barrel roll. A thrill rushed down her spine when she managed to do it. From her Vajra's point of view, she saw Ranka's Vajra and that Vajra tried to do the barrel roll but broke off the turn midway. Sheryl smirked and made her Vajra do a victory pose. She was in the middle of trying a rolling scissors maneuver when she heard the queen's voice.

"Please listen."

Abashed, she broke off the maneuver and followed the queen's instructions. "Sorry..."

The lesson ended in a high note. Even the queen was pleased. Sheryl was humming as she helped Ranka off the pod.

"Say, Sheryl, Ai-chan's getting a futon today, so can we have lunch at my place?" asked Ranka.

"Sure. By the way, any news from Cathy?"

"I didn't get any this morning. My purse is in the shuttle, so let's go and check."

They walked to the shuttle and Ranka checked her phone. A new message was available. She listened to it.

"Hello, this is Cathy. When you get a chance, please come to City Hall ASAP. Bye."

A worried look stole over her face as Ranka turned her phone off. "Cathy called. She wants us to come over."

"Are you worried about the futon?"

"Yeah."

"Hmmm." Sheryl drummed her fingers on the armrest. "Maybe we can ask Lisa for help. She's pretty reliable."

Her eyes brightened. "Ah! She seems nice. Maybe she can drive us over to City Hall and then wait for the futon at my house."

A quick chat with Lt. Maxwell solved Ranka's predicament. As Sheryl suspected, one of her companions, Private Kim Porter was nearby and she was assigned to wait for the futon. Lt. Maxwell drove them to City Hall.

As usual, they had lunch in Cathy's office. While they ate, Cathy explained the situation.

"The engineers were able to find one of the uni-link relays and were able to download its memory. The message is: Tell Cathy Grace is back."

Sheryl's heart went cold at the name. "No... that can't be. There must be some mistake!"

"For the moment, let's assume so. If that's the case, we need the queen's cooperation. Is she willing to help?"

Sheryl shook her head. "She won't fight. Instead, she gave us her Vajra to fight with."

Cathy leaned back on the couch. "I see. Can you do it?"

"Yes," nodded Sheryl. "She's training us right now."

Relief formed on Cathy's face. "That's good to know. NUNS will do their share. As of today, I've diverted military resources to building more ships. The Galaxy crew is modifying the bridge programs so they can control the ghost fighters."

"Any news from my brother?"

Cathy shook her head sadly. "No. But I'll let you know if we get any."

Desperation clutched her heart. "Can we send a small one?"

"I advise against it," replied Cathy sternly. "Unless absolutely necessary. Grace was one of the top scientists in Galaxy and she may be able to detect the uni-link relays if they're sending a message. We're just lucky that she hasn't yet."

"I see." Her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"I further advise that you don't tell anyone about this. I'm not going to announce this to the public. The last thing we need is widespread panic. Crime rate is way down since we got here. Everybody has been cooperating with reconstruction. If the public knew about another attack, morale would go down and some people might take advantage of the situation to loot."

When presented in that manner, Sheryl hated to admit that she had a point. However, as a civilian, it irked her that the government did not tell them the truth about the Vajra in the beginning. "I understand that. However, please tell them the truth when the time comes. I don't want to be part of a cover-up."

For a moment, Cathy flushed slightly. In a controlled voice, she responded, "Very well. When we have further proof that Grace is back, we will tell the public." She leaned forward and spoke more casually. "If this didn't involve Grace, I'd have NUNS handle it and leave both of you out of it. But with Grace as an unknown variable, I don't want to take any chances. In the meantime, do what you normally do. It's even better if you sing. I want the colonists to feel that they can resume their normal lives."

Her phone beeped. She glanced at it and promptly gulped down the rest of her coffee. She stood up. "I have a few things to attend to. Please enjoy your lunch."

They watched her leave and close the door. Sheryl's eyes rested on her half-eaten sandwich. With a colony to protect, she did not envy her position at all. They finished their lunch quickly and returned to Ranka's house. The futon was delivered as scheduled. To Ranka's relief, Lt. Maxwell and Pvt. Porter carried it to her room. Then they moved the pet bed to the attic.

They spent the rest of the afternoon doing more combat exercises. At one point, the queen seemed very satisfied with their performance.

"Please step off the pod and try again."

They did as they were told and tried. This time, their level of skill was very similar to their first lesson.

"Go with the flow."

As Sheryl concentrated, the crystals in her hands tingled. Her abdomen felt warm and her connection to the Vajra seemed a bit clearer. She tried to grasp that feeling. For a brief moment, she felt like she was standing in the asteroid belt where they were practicing.

"Feel it. Flow."

The crystals tingled again and she lifted her hand to look at it. Instead, she saw a red claw. At that moment, her concentration broke and she collapsed on the floor. Immediately, Dr. LaSalle was by her side.

"Are you hurt?"

Sheryl rubbed her behind as she stood up. "Only my pride," she replied. "I'm not done yet." She closed her eyes and concentrated once more.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jenus beckoned Dr. LaSalle to the shuttle. He pointed to a scan and said quietly, "We have to watch her. With every lesson, more of the virus is moving to her brain."

"Understood. I will do more scans and in-depth analysis."

By the end of the lesson, Sheryl felt that she was getting the hang of it. As usual, the scientists were eager for feedback.

"Do you have to hold them in your hand?" asked Dr. Jenus.

"Hmmm... She told us to hold them close," replied Ranka.

Dr. Jenus pointed to a scan of Sheryl on the wide screen. "The purple glow is from the crystals. As you can see, they are located on the hands and right here, near this ear. This chart shows the amount crystal reaction from a given location. As you can see, amount of reaction is about the same for each crystal."

"Does this mean that we don't have to hold the crystals?" asked Sheryl.

He nodded. "I believe so. We can test the hypothesis by giving you a pouch and hanging it around your neck."

"I have a better idea. Why not make them into jewelry? It would be less tacky than a pouch." suggested Ranka.

Dr. Jenus laughed. "Yes, that is a better idea. Forgive this old man." He bowed slightly and they laughed. "Now, if I may have your attention again, Miss Lee, would you do a simple experiment for me?"

"What is it?"

"With your crystals, ask a Vajra to come to the parking lot. However, instead of communicating as the queen told you, sing your command."

The notion intrigued her. "Ok."

Together, they walked to the parking lot. Ranka took a deep breath and sang, "Come to me..."

A few seconds later, several Vajra hovered around Ranka. Dr. Jenus tapped his scanner excitedly.

"As I suspected, the reaction increased by a factor of 10 when you sing. The flow magnitude is almost as high as when you stand in the pod."

"But they always come to me when I sing."

"That's true. However, when you sang, they just came, but you weren't able to control them. But now I can assume that you can command them to do more complicated things." He pointed to some sandy soil. "Can you ask one of them to draw the letter A here?"

Ranka looked up and picked a Vajra with small claws. She sang her instructions and pictured the letter A in her mind. The Vajra landed near the soil and clawed the soil. When it was done, a crude letter A was sketched in the soil.

"Magnificent! Bravo, Miss Lee! This is truly a large leap."

She flushed at his praise. "Thank you."

"Should I try it too?" asked Sheryl.

"There is no need for duplicate effort. We have the data already. For now, let us go back to the meeting room. Miss Lee, please thank your friends on my behalf for their assistance."

After Ranka dismissed the Vajra, they returned to the meeting room and continued their discussion. When they were done, Dr. Zore came over.

"Miss Nome, Miss Lee, I just wanted to tell you that I have prepared more reports about the Vajra research that your grandmother and mother did. As usual, these are available on the lab server. Please check your email for the access codes."

"Thank you very much. We really appreciate your summaries. The actual reports are hard to understand." said Sheryl.

"I'm happy that you find it useful. As I work, I will continue to provide my reports."

"Thanks. That really helps." said Ranka.

They bid the scientists farewell and headed towards Sheryl's place for dinner. After dinner, they began teaching Ai. Around 9 PM, Ranka's phone rang and she answered it.

"Ranka, it's Elmo. The contract is ready. When is a good time to go over it?"

Her heart started to race excitedly. "Ummm... how about tomorrow at lunch? My place?"

"Got it. I'll bring lunch. By the way, I've also emailed it to you, so feel free to read it in advance."

"Thanks a lot Elmo!"

"No problem! I'm your manager, girl! Anyway, see you tomorrow!"

"Yes! Bye!" Ranka squeezed her phone so hard that it belched repeatedly.

"You look really happy. What's up?" asked Sheryl.

"Elmo... Elmo got me a contract with Galaxy Records!" bubbled Ranka.

Sheryl's jaw dropped. Galaxy Records was a big competitor to her record company. If they were moving, then her company would not be far behind. However, Ranka was lucky that it was a Galaxy company instead of a Frontier company. The Galaxy colonists would not know about her supposed betrayal. "That's awesome, Ranka! Good for you!"

"This is it!" thought Ranka. "My new chance. My chance to convince people that I'm on their side." She turned to Sheryl.

"Elmo wants to meet me tomorrow at lunch. Is that ok?"

"Why are you asking me for permission?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Why indeed? Her fingers twiddled randomly. "Well, we always have lunch together, so... I hope you don't mind if he comes over..."

Sheryl smiled softly and thought, "You've already included me. I wonder what you'd say if..." She cleared her throat. "Well, I was thinking of going to the jeweler who did this earring and asking him to mount our crystals on some bracelets and necklaces."

"Oh. So you'll be busy?" asked Ranka, sounding a bit disappointed. Her hair lost its usual bounce.

"Tee hee... such a cute expression." noted Sheryl silently. She pretended to think. "Hmmm... Well... I could ask Lisa for a favor again. Maybe she could deliver our crystals to the jeweler while we have lunch." She had already planned to ask her, but had not had a chance to tell Ranka of her plan.

Ranka's hair bobbed up. "Do you think she'll agree?"

"She's nice, so she probably will."

"Then you can come for lunch?"

"Of course."

They resumed Ai's lessons. Although they did not do any composing that night, Ranka went home in high spirits. That night, she slept very well.

* * *

In anticipation of their lunch meeting, the morning seemed to breeze by for Ranka. Finally, noon approached and so did butterflies in her stomach. When the doorbell rang, she almost ran to open it.

"Ranka! How are you?" He waved with one hand while carrying bags in the other.

"I'm fine!"

"And Sheryl's here too?" said Elmo, sounding a bit surprised. "You two seem inseparable now."

Blood rushed to her face and she grabbed the bags of food irritably. "What are you saying? We've just come back from lessons with the queen. Didn't I tell you that?"

"Well, she was with you last night too..."

She blushed even more. "How do you know that?"

He lifted his hand to his ear. "I can hear her voice in the background."

"Let's just eat. We need time to go through the contract."

Elmo saluted. "Yes ma'am!"

After lunch, Ranka and Elmo went over the contract while Sheryl taught Ai in Ranka's room. With her digipad, Sheryl moved through the set of preschool lessons that she downloaded from the Frontier server. She pointed at the text and the corresponding pictures.

_Max loves apples._  
_Max loves planes._  
_Max loves Miriya. _

"Max loves Miriya," repeated Ai while pointing to a picture of Max and Miriya hugging. "Just like Ranka loves Sheryl?"

"What? Where did you get that idea?" Already, her heart was beating wildly, hoping for more confirmation.

"See?" She pointed to her posters on the wall.

Her heart sank. She was hoping for far too much. "She admires me, Ai-chan. That's different."

Instead, Ai shook her head. "She hug you. When sleep, she says Sheryl and hugs me tight."

"How often?" asked Sheryl eagerly.

Ai closed her dark orbs. "Mmmm... 3 times when night and then 2 times when night then day then night."

"What else does she do that involves me?"

"Mmmm... when me small, she sings your songs. And then..." Ai stood up and went to her dresser. She pulled out a towel and wrapped it over her torso. "She put this."

Sheryl gasped. The picture on it was from one of her posters with just her face centered. It was enough. Despite the temptation to discover more, she decided that she should respect her privacy. She took the towel from Ai and carefully folded it. "Ai, don't just take stuff out of her dresser without her permission, ok?"

"You ask..." said Ai, looking confused.

She put the towel in the dresser and closed it. "I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that. But from now on, ask Ranka before you open or take anything from her dresser." She picked up the digipad and skipped to the next lesson. "Here, try this one."

Downstairs, Elmo and Ranka continued to plod through the contract. Around 1:30 PM, they finished. As she signed it, Ranka fought her trembling hand. After she was done, Elmo held out his hand.

"Congratulations!"

Ranka shook it vigorously. "Thanks, Elmo! And thanks again for putting this together. It must've been a lot of work."

Elmo slipped the papers into a folder. "It was, but I think it's worth it. They want to do the concert in a week or two. When can you do a photo shoot for your concert poster?"

She thought for a moment. "After lunch. I'll ask the queen to delay the lessons until mid-afternoon."

"In that case, let's meet here for lunch, so I can tell you what to expect."

After Elmo left, they went to the queen to resume their lessons. Along the way, Ranka told Sheryl about the contract.

"It's good." said Sheryl politely. There were some terms that could have been negotiated better, but Sheryl did not feel like putting Elmo in a bad spot.

The days before the concert settled to a routine pattern of lessons, preparation and teaching. Occasionally, they would ask Cathy for news about the Quarter, but she still did not have any. Along the way to the mothership, they could see an increase of activity on the airbase. More ships were appearing on the tarmac.

Finally, the day of the concert came. A week and a half ago, Ranka never thought that this would happen. And yet, here she was about to step on the stage once more.

"Nervous?" asked Sheryl behind her.

"Yes... it's my first solo concert since we got here."

"Well, go out there and give me a challenge. Mine will be in a couple of weeks."

Ranka swallowed. Almost a week after she signed her contract, Sheryl's company assigned her a new manager and arranged for her concert. She gave a thumbs up. "I won't be beat!" When the cue came for the curtain call, she strode forward with determination.

By intermission, the crowd was still cheering and whistling for her. A cold towel was welcome relief over her sweaty forehead. She headed for her dressing room to change into a new suit. Suddenly, there was a twang in the air.

"Look out!"

From the voice and the flash of golden-coral hair, she knew that Sheryl tackled her. There were several twangs followed by the whine of laser fire. Somewhere in the distance, a man screamed. She looked up and saw Lt. Maxwell standing before them with laser pistols in her hands. Pvt. Porter helped them up. Meanwhile, just around the corner, there were shadows of several people struggling and a voice of a man cursing.

"Secure the perimeter. Arrest anyone suspicious," ordered Lt. Maxwell. Three women in civilian clothes obeyed and scattered.

"We have an injury," reported Pvt. Porter. She held a scanner over Sheryl's arm. "Non-fatal. Administering first aid in a secure location." She pressed a piece of tissue over the wound. "Hold it there for now."

"Affirmative. Report when you're done."

Sheryl winced as she did as she was told. Blood stained the tissue.

Pvt. Porter gently guided their arms. "Please come with me."

Walking quickly, she led them to a van that Sheryl noticed outside of Ranka's house. All sorts of equipment were in it along with a small recessed table and a bench.

"Please sit comfortably. I'll dress your wound in a moment."

Ranka was shaking uncontrollably. Before she knew it, everything went black. The next thing she knew, she was lying on the bench. An awful smell assaulted her nose and she sneezed. She sat up slowly.

"Here, drink this." Pvt. Porter offered a bottle with a straw. "It'll calm your nerves."

Ranka sipped the cool green liquid. Then she remembered. "The concert! I have to go!"

Pvt. Porter put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "They're going to end it now. As a consolation, each attendee will receive a discount coupon for your new CD."

"But they came to see me. I have to sing."

"I'm sorry, but..."

"Let her sing." said Sheryl firmly.

"We can't protect her on stage!"

"Then we will. Hope and I will keep an eye... or rather... several eyes on her. If something looks suspicious, we will protect her right away."

"But how?"

"Please peek outside the window."

She did and was surprised to see several Vajra nearby. "You called them here," she whispered in a voice tinted with awe and perhaps, fear.

Sheryl nodded. She turned to Ranka and held her hands. "So sing. Sing and show them who you really are."

"But what about you?"

"Oh this?" She touched the bandage. "This, after all the other things I've been through? This is just a scratch." She cupped her cheek in her palm. "I'm fine. Go. They're waiting for you. Go." The last word sounded with a sure and confident note.

Ranka's lips drew taut with determination. "I'm going."

Escorted by Vajra, they made their way back in time to convince the stage manager to continue the concert. While Ranka prepared for her entrance, Sheryl discreetly deployed the flying Vajra over the concert area. The smaller Vajra and larvae hid in the shadows among the concertgoers and around the stage. When they were ready, she opened her mind to them and watched through their eyes.

Thankfully, no further incidents occurred for the rest of the concert. The applause and energy from the crowd indicated that they forgot about the abnormally long intermission. However, as a precaution, Sheryl and Ranka left in the van instead of Lt. Maxwell's car. Unlike the car, the van was armor plated and even amphibious.

After thirty minutes, they switched to a different van. Another thirty minutes later, they arrived at Sheryl's hotel. They were escorted to the penthouse suite next to Sheryl's. Lt. Maxwell opened it with a card and handed the card to Ranka. "From now on, please stay here until we've determined that it's safe. Use that card to access this floor. Other than the lab and the mothership, please clear any other excursions with me."

Ranka clutched the card to her heart. "For how long?"

Lt. Maxwell shrugged. "I don't know. A week, maybe two. We have the perpetrator. Security for the concert was tight so we need to figure out how he sneaked crossbows in and whether he had any accomplices."

"I see."

"Pvt. Porter will be on duty tonight. She will be outside your suites if you need her. My squad and I will patrol the area. You're safe here, so please get some rest." She saluted. "Good night."

With that, they went into their rooms. Ranka sat on the bed. Trembling, her hands covered her face. Finally, she released her control and sobbed like a child. Warm arms embraced her from behind.

"Ranka..." whispered Ai softly.

Ranka turned around and wept into her chest. Ai held her tightly.

* * *

Track 4: A Long, Long Goodbye


	4. Track 4: A Long, Long Goodbye

**Track 4: A Long, Long Good-bye**

They woke to the sound of raindrops hitting the windowpane. It was the first rain since they landed on this planet, hereby known as Frontier by the colonists. The sky reflected Ranka's heart and she burrowed into the pillows for comfort.

A soft tapping came from a side door. "Ranka..." called Sheryl.

Before she could respond, Ai zoomed to the door and opened it. Still wearing her nightgown, Sheryl walked in. Despite her melancholic mood, she could not help but admire how the shiny fabric slid over her curves and how it failed to hide the contour of her nipples. When she realized what she was seeing she buried her warm face in her pillow.

"It's already past 10. Are you hungry?"

"No." came her muffled reply.

"I'm hungry!" said Ai.

"See, Ai is hungry. Hope and I are hungry too."

Outnumbered, she grudgingly agreed to have breakfast. In addition to human food, Sheryl uncaged some flowers from Dr. Zore for Ai and Hope.

"Human food taste good, but not fun to eat," said Ai as she chomped on a wiggling petal.

"Well, we humans prefer to cook our food," explained Sheryl.

"You should go without me," said Ranka as she aimlessly poked a sausage.

"Go where?"

"To the lessons."

"I already told the queen that we need a day off today," She tilted her head in the direction of the windows. "since it's raining."

"Our lessons are in space," argued Ranka. "She won't buy that."

"But we aren't. That, she bought," concluded Sheryl smugly. "So we have the whole day to ourselves."

Ranka leaned back on her chair and relaxed as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. By the way, Lisa got a change of clothes for you." She pointed to a bag near her door.

Ranka looked at the bag and then herself. Then she remembered. She cried herself to sleep last night and did not change. She fought the tears from falling again.

Breakfast was a bitter battle of shoving food in her mouth and swallowing. In the end, she managed to finish half a pancake and some sausages. Then she picked up the bag and went to the shower. The clothes were obviously new and freshly laundered. Ranka selected a white blouse and a pink skirt. When she came out of the bathroom, she could hear music from Sheryl's room. She opened the side door and let herself in.

Ai and Sheryl were singing 'What 'bout my Star' in duet mode on the karaoke player. She sat down to watch them. Within seconds, she was laughing hysterically at their antics. They would purposely sing out of tune, driving the score on the player to single digits. Then they would dance together and do crazy moves. When the song was done, the player displayed a frog and a score of 17.

Ranka leapt to her feet. "I wanna try!" She received the mic from Sheryl. Then she requested, "Welcome To My Fan Club's Night."

Sheryl flopped noisily onto the sofa. Smiling wolfishly, she warned, "Don't butcher it too much. I might get mad."

"That's going to be tough to do." countered Ranka as the intro played. Her remark earned her a tossed cushion which she hastily dodged while Ai caught it squarely on the face.

"Not hit me!" complained Ai sourly as she tossed the cushion to Hope who caught it in her mouth. She crawled over to the sofa and offered it to Sheryl.

Sheryl took the cushion and patted Hope. By now, she was as big as a dog. According to the queen, she would molt in a week or less and transform to Ai's previous form. She returned her attention to Ranka. At least, she did not seem depressed anymore.

Despite her warning, the song was totally butchered to a score of 9. This time, the player displayed a turtle. Sheryl snorted, "How can you make it sound so bad?" She held her hand out for the mic. "My turn."

After getting the mic from Ranka, she commanded, "Interstellar Flight."

"What?" Ranka turned around so suddenly that she lost her balance and fell on Ai who was already sitting on the sofa. Her eyes were round with disbelief that Sheryl got a hold of her debut single. "You have that?"

Sheryl replied by winking. "Downloaded it. Now it's time for revenge!"

As she sang the song, she exaggerated the dance moves from the music video and belted out her worst pitch. By the middle of the song, she could see Ranka fuming with indignation from the corner of her eye.

"I'll get you for that!" yelled Ranka as soon the song ended. She did not even bother to wait for the score.

Back and forth, Ranka and Sheryl traded musical blows. Eventually, their throats wore out and they sprawled tiredly on the sofas.

"Want a drink?" asked Sheryl.

"Sure... got a miracle cure for a sore throat?"

She lifted herself wearily. "Coming right up..."

A few minutes later, they sipped warm lemon tea with honey.

"Ah... that feels good..." said Ranka.

"Nothing like a nice cup of tea on a rainy day. It's almost 1. Want to order lunch?"

"Ok."

While waiting for lunch to come, Ranka went back into her room and picked up her phone. She was grateful for the clothes, but she felt that it was not necessary for them to spend money on her. A few successive squeezes connected her to Lt. Maxwell.

"Maxwell here."

"Hi Lisa! It's Ranka."

"Hi Ranka, is there anything wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just want to thank you for the clothes. But you don't need to buy me stuff. I prefer my clothes, so I'd like to go to my house and pick some up."

"That's not a good idea. We've found out that there's an accomplice. Until we've found him, please stay there."

"I see. Thanks." She hung up. For several moments, she watched the rain through the window. Then her eyes rested on Ai who was playing with Hope. Her wings fluttered about wildly. An idea formed in her mind. If she could not go, perhaps someone else could.

"Ai-chan, can you go to my house for me?"

"Yes!" Ai twirled Hope around.

"Good. Here are my keys. You know how to open the door right?"

Ai put Hope down. She picked out the front door key.

"Good girl. Take this bag and fill it with at least 3 shirts, 3 skirts, 3 shorts and 3 pairs of underwear."

"Bring Sheryl towel too?"

Immediately, she looked at the side door and confirmed that it was closed. "No! Absolutely not! Don't bring that or I'll send you back to the queen!"

For a moment, Ai looked pale. Then she repeated, "3 shirts, 3 skirts, 3 shorts, 3 underwear."

"You got it."

"I go now." She headed to the door.

"Wait! Leave through the balcony." Ranka unlocked the sliding door. The cold rain splashed onto the carpet.

Ai obeyed and flew out. Ranka slid the door behind her. Then she slipped on her crystal bracelets and necklace. Just to make sure, she linked up with Ai's mind.

As Ai flew, she felt like she was on an amusement park water ride. After several minutes of flying, she recognized her house from a distance. Ai began to descend.

When Ai was about thirty feet, her blood went cold at what she saw. NUNS officers were standing in front of the house which was surrounded by lines of yellow tape labeled with 'Keep Out'. The windows were boarded up with wood. But what shocked her most was the red spray paint, which workers were trying to scrub off. There was no doubt that it spelled the word 'traitor'. Now she knew why Lt. Maxwell did not want her to go home.

Ai's voice jolted her mind. "Ranka?" She landed on the roof of the house across from hers.

Ranka gripped the bed sheets tightly and ignored the tears on her cheeks. "Don't let them see you. Can you go around to the backdoor?"

"Ok."

Ai flew up and went around the block. She entered the backdoor. In a few moments, shock gave way to anger when Ranka saw the broken windows and rocks on the floor.

"I'll make them pay!" she wailed. To do this to her brother's house was unforgivable.

"Ranka!" Ai's voice echoed in her mind. She turned towards the backdoor.

Ranka could feel Ai's concern and her intent to leave the house. "It's ok, Ai-chan! Please, stay. Just get my clothes as quick as you can and leave."

"Ok! I be fast."

True to her word, Ai gathered the necessary clothes and flew back as fast as she could. Ranka dried her off as soon as she arrived.

"Sorry, Ranka." consoled Ai.

Ranka blinked back her tears which had stained her ruddy cheeks. "It's ok, Ai-chan. By the way, don't tell Sheryl. I don't want her to worry."

Meanwhile, Sheryl dismissed her Vajra. When she saw Ai flying from the balcony, she became suspicious and commanded a nearby Vajra to follow her. She had seen everything discreetly from her Vajra's point of view. The situation was worse than she thought. Her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned on the wall in thought. From now on, it might be more difficult to prevent Ranka from spiraling into depression. It was up to her to watch her mood and to think of things to occupy her mind.

When lunch came, she pretended not to notice her swollen eyes and tried to sound as casual as possible. However, every effort Ranka made to sound cheerful almost broke her heart.

"You're so brave," she thought as she watched her. "What could I do to help you?" Her eyes spotted the keyboard. Ranka liked to compose, so that should keep her occupied for a while. After they finished lunch and wheeled the cart into the hallway, Sheryl offered to do a session.

At first, Ranka seemed to be editing. However, after twenty minutes, Sheryl caught her staring at the raining window. The digipad on her lap was running its screensaver.

She sat next to her and they both stared at the window silently. Eventually, Ranka stood up.

"Ummm... if you don't mind, I'd like some time alone." She walked back to her room and Ai followed her. At the door, Ai looked back with a worried expression before closing the door behind her.

Sheryl fingered her earring. It was so tempting to link to Ai's mind and see what Ranka was doing. Instead, she trapped her hands in an attempt to resist the urge. A soft warmth rubbed against her leg and foot. Bending down, she picked up Hope with a grunt.

"My, what have you been eating lately?" Hope leaned in and wet her nose. Sheryl giggled at the ticklish sensation. "Are you trying to cheer me up?"

In response, Hope chirped. Sheryl whispered, "I'm worried about her, you know. But I want to give her space, so don't bother her either, ok?"

A high-pitched chirp signified her agreement. She hugged her squishy body to hers. For now, she had to be patient.

* * *

Ranka sat on her bed and stared at the window. Meanwhile, Ai looked around the room and picked up the TV guide. An idea formed in her mind to keep her occupied.

"Ai-chan, do you want to watch TV?"

"TV?"

She picked up the remote and turned the TV on with it. "Yes, this."

Ai marveled at the screen and pointed. "Humans inside!"

"It's just pictures of humans. You like stories, right? Well, the TV has a lot of stories. Just press these buttons..."

After some instruction, Ai mastered the remote and was flipping through the channels. Then she exclaimed, "Ranka!"

The TV was showing the beginning of the Bird Human movie. Ranka saw herself as Mao who just jumped off a palm tree.

"Yes, it's me. When humans want to tell a story that happened in the past, they get together with other people and pretend to be those people in the story. In this one, I'm pretending to be Mao."

"Why pretend? Just tell everyone."

"Unlike the Vajra, we can't tell everyone directly. We have to talk to each other, just like we're doing right now. So when we want to talk to a lot of people, we save the story so that other humans can see it on the TV later."

"Humans not simple."

"I'm going to take a nap, Ai-chan. You can watch the story if you want. But be quiet, ok?"

"Ok," Ai returned her eyes to the screen.

Ranka went to the bedroom and hoped that she can at least escape into her dreams. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she began to cry.

* * *

The rain stopped mid-afternoon. Sheryl was talking to Nanase when the side door opened. Ai walked in.

"Sheryl, I go to queen now. She need me."

"Excuse me a moment..." Sheryl pressed the mute button and turned to Ai. "Why?"

"I not know. Must go. Tell Ranka when awake."

"Ok."

Ai left through her balcony door. Sheryl watched her fly for a few moments before resuming her conversation.

* * *

Ranka woke the soft strains of a guitar or some sort of string instrument. She rubbed her swollen eyes before looking around.

"Ai-chan?" She called. "Ai-chan?"

She got out of bed and noticed the time. 5:43 PM. She glanced back at the pillows. It was so easy to just sleep and forget the harsh reality before her. However, no matter how many times the dreamer slept, one would eventually wake. It was no use running.

She looked all over the suite. When she was satisfied that Ai was not in her suite, she decided to ask Sheryl. Her hand grasped the handle and paused. With a deep breath and a smile on her face, she opened the door.

What greeted her numbed her mind senseless. Sheryl was on top of Nanase on the floor. Romantic music was playing. Dinner was set on the table.

Shock gave way to anger. "Sheryl... you...!" Turning on her heel, she fled back the way she came. The door slammed to announce her exit.

Meanwhile, Nanase and Sheryl stared at the closed door. After a few moments, a worried Sheryl carefully disentangled herself from Nanase.

Ranka looked like she was about to cry. Concerned and curious, Nanase asked, "Did you two have a fight?"

Sheryl gently lowered Nanase's leg. "No. We ate lunch together and then she went to her room. Excuse me." She stood up and began to walk to the side door.

"I'm coming too!"

Sheryl knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she called out, "Ranka... Ranka, may we come in?" She waited a few seconds for an answer that did not come. Then she tried the door handle. It was locked.

Suddenly, Hope was chirping wildly. Sheryl's eyes widened in alarm. She grabbed her coat from the rack and hastily slid the balcony door open. "Nanase, please wait here!"

"But..."

Even though she tried to object, Nanase could only watch in horror as Sheryl jumped off the balcony. Then to her surprise, she rose in the air. Majestically, she and her Vajra flew to the sky.

Sheryl's eyebrows creased with concentration. If Ranka was serious about running away, then this was going to be a battle of wits and skill. Both of them received the same lessons. Her only advantage was her slightly better flying skills. As she caught sight of Ranka and her Vajra, Sheryl hoped that it was enough.

Just then, at the back of her mind, she felt a presence. It was the queen. She sensed the formation of a question. Sheryl told her, "Please don't interfere." The presence left.

Ranka's Vajra was not flying in the direction of the mothership, which indicated that she was not going to hide there. Sheryl instructed other nearby Vajra to block her path. Then she summoned more Vajra to accompany her.

Ranka stared at the Vajra in front of her and told them to move. Instead, they blocked her way, causing her to slow down. They were probably Sheryl's. Two can play at this game. She called up Vajra to tackle the ones that blocked her way while her Vajra angled sideways to avoid them. Scanning through the different points of view from her Vajra, she tried to locate Sheryl who should be riding on a Vajra as well. Meanwhile, more and more Vajra blocked her way and she fought hard to dodge them. If only she could find Sheryl, then she could concentrate on her.

Suddenly, warm arms encircled her waist. A familiar voice whispered in her ear. "Gotcha."

She turned around soon enough to see a Vajra using its arms to drop Sheryl onto her Vajra. Then she understood. Sheryl hid underneath instead of riding.

"Come back. Nanase came to visit you."

"Are you sure about that?" Ranka asked sarcastically. "You two seemed to be getting along really well."

Sheryl's eyebrow rose. Is she jealous? If she was, then she had to say something that would chase her jealousy away. "Of course, we are. We're friends. What kind of a question is that?"

Her response struck Ranka's senses like the clapper in a bell. "What am I doing?" she asked herself desperately. "Why did it bother me so much?" She gripped the carapace of her Vajra.

"Since you're such good friends, then go and have dinner with her."

"Without you? What's the point of her coming then?"

Ranka wanted to curl into a small ball. "You're fine without me."

The arms around her tightened. Instead, of her usual persuasive lilt, her voice was low and firm.

"I'm not. That's why I'm here."

Although she could not see her face, Ranka could imagine the intensity of those sapphire eyes and the determined outline of the lips that formed those words. She could not see, but to hear those words was enough to convince her of its sincere truth. She bowed her head in shame.

"I'm sorry." Her Vajra slowed down.

Sheryl sensed the Vajra's confusion. Immediately, she took control. They rose in a slow and graceful Immelmann turn. As they flew, Ranka shivered. Keeping one arm around her waist, Sheryl lifted the front of her coat over Ranka's arm.

"You're cold. Lean into me. That's it... Just slip your hands under the coat for now."

"Nn," obeyed Ranka.

Meanwhile, Sheryl's mind was racing for an adequate explanation to give Nanase. Then she remembered. "I'm sorry. I got you all worried for nothing."

"Huh?" Ranka had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ai-chan went to see the queen. She said that the queen needed her. Since you were still asleep, she told me to tell you. I'm sorry. I should've left you a note. You were worried about her, weren't you?"

It took a few moments for the cause and effect to click in Ranka's mind. "Uh... yes... I was. Yeah, you really worried me. I had to go look for her to make sure she didn't get lost or something."

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time."

Under the coat, Ranka's hand settled on the warm hand securing her waist. "So what's for dinner?"

"Nyan, nyan's. Nanase's treat."

"That's nice of her." Then her thoughts went back to the image of Sheryl and Nanase on the floor. "What were you two doing anyway?"

Sheryl was glad that she was willing to listen. "Yoga. She asked me to show her easy poses that she could do with Luca. Her muscles are a bit weak, so she thought that she could strengthen them with yoga."

"So that's what it was," thought Ranka with relief that she released as laughter.

"She's really into it, isn't she?"

"Yup. I wish I could see Luca's face when they do this."

They laughed together, easing the tension between them. Finally, they landed on Sheryl's balcony. A very distraught Nanase met them.

"What happened?" asked Nanase as she helped Ranka down.

"Ranka thought Ai-chan was missing, so she was really worried. When she saw that Ai-chan wasn't with me, she flew out to search for her. But in the end, all of this is my fault. I should've left her a note to tell her that Ai-chan went to see the queen."

"I see." She remembered how much Ranka searched for Ai-chan when she could not find her in school. However, Nanase was still puzzled. Ranka was the one who was worried, so why was Sheryl doing all the explaining? A part of her suspected the sketchy explanation but she decided to politely accept it. "Anyway, come on in. Dinner's getting colder."

When Sheryl removed her coat, Nanase noticed it. "Ah! You're bleeding!"

Sheryl looked at her arm. True enough, blood seeped through the bandage. In her effort to remain hidden, her Vajra gripped her arm and caused the wound to open. "It's not as bad as it looks. Kim can fix it." She moved toward the door to ask Pvt. Porter.

Ranka blocked her way. "I'll do it."

Sheryl was about to argue but words stuck in her throat when she saw those sad, guilty eyes. "Oh, ok. Thanks."

As Nanase watched them, more questions popped up in her mind. The attack on Ranka was all over the news, but few details were released to the press. Was Sheryl's wound related to the attack? If so, then that could explain why Ranka looked so guilty as she redressed the wound.

Saved by the microwave, they finished the Nyan, nyan take-out. After dinner, they sang karaoke. Around 9:30 PM, Nanase yawned heavily.

"I'm sorry... I guess my stamina's not that great yet." She pulled on her coat. "I'd love to stay longer, but then I'd probably doze off in exhaustion and wake up with yakk knows what on my face."

Ranka giggled. Nanase had once been the unlucky recipient of a make-up prank when she fell asleep at a party. "Don't you trust us?"

"You maybe." Her eyes shifted to Sheryl. "But I've heard all sorts of complaints from a certain princess about a certain someone."

"Whoever are you talking about?" asked Sheryl innocently.

"Aaany-way... I've got to get going. Can I come by again?"

"Sure, just call so we can tell Lisa that you're coming." said Ranka as she opened the door.

"Good night then." Then she stopped at the threshold and jokingly added, "Sleep well and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Ranka laughed. "Same to you. Good night."

"Good night." said Sheryl.

After Nanase left, Sheryl plopped down on the sofa and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back. Controlling so many Vajra at the same time mentally exhausted her. As dinner progressed, she developed a headache.

Ranka sat down next to her. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine."

Ranka looked at Sheryl guiltily. It was her fault that she was in this condition. She did not want to be a bother anymore. She stood up. "I guess I'll turn in for bed too."

"If you want to borrow a nightgown, it's the second drawer of the dresser near the lamp."

For a moment, she really considered borrowing a nightgown that Sheryl wore since she forgot to ask Ai to bring her nightgown. Then she shook the idea out of her head. She had imposed on her too much. Her own clothes will do. She went to the bathroom in her suite to clean up.

After she was done, she went to Sheryl's suite to wish her good night. Instead, Sheryl was dozing on the sofa. She sat next to her. The dim light cast gentle shadows on her features and seemed to accentuate the fullness of her hair. For a few seconds, Ranka watched her.

Only when her hand was a few inches away from Sheryl's face did Ranka realize that it was there. She blinked. Was she about to wake her? As she tried to decide what to do, Ai's voice echoed in the distance.

_aimo aimo [5]_  
_neder rushe_

At that moment, Sheryl opened her eyes and looked at her. Slowly, her hand rose to meet Ranka's.

_noina miria_  
_ender prodea_

Their fingers intertwined. Blue eyes locked onto reddish-orange. Another voice joined Ai's song.

_fotomi_  
_koko wa attaka na umi dayo_

Bodies shifted closer, yearning for warmth. Soft breaths mingled and lips touched and tested.

_ru-rei rureia_  
_sora wo mau hibari wa nami da_  
_ru-rei rureia_  
_omae wa yasashi midori no ko_

Tongues slipped from their berths to explore. Hands wandered. Several voices joined in the song. Hands slipped under clothing and danced across smooth skin. Warmth spread from their abdomen to their limbs.

Legs intertwined and moved against each other. Lips tasted and teased. Feet padded across the carpet to the bedroom. Clothing rustled as it was abandoned.

_aimo aimo ne-deru ru-she_  
_mukashi minna hitotsu datta sekai_  
_oide attaka na sora dayo_

The bed groaned with shifting weight. Soft cries of pleasure mingled in harmony with the chorus of voices that sang on and on through the night.

* * *

A sliver of sunlight poked her eyelids and teased her. Ranka rubbed her eyes. Then her face flushed when she remembered her strange dream. Maybe, if she dozed off, she could continue it. But before that, the curtains should be drawn.

She turned her head. "Ai-chan, could you..."

Her eyes blinked. Ai was not next to her. Her trembling hand approached the mass of golden-coral hair that was peeking from underneath the blanket and slowly lifted it up.

Her breath caught at the sight of Sheryl sleeping. As her hand lifted more of the blanket, it revealed more of her than she ought to see. The blanket slipped from her shaking hand.

At that moment, she became more conscious of herself. She lifted her side of the blanket. Not a single piece of clothing covered her skin. As she lay in shock, she wondered whether she was dreaming. Her hand crept under the covers and slipped between her thighs. She was sore, very sore.

Fragments of her dream, if it really was a dream, paraded through her mind. Incredulously, she glanced at Sheryl. She could not believe what she did to Sheryl and what Sheryl did in return. Hastily, she got up and grabbed the hotel bathrobe draped over a nearby chair. Running out of the room, she slipped it on. Her hand gripped the doorknob and opened the door, only to close it again. Pvt. Porter was standing near the elevators. Her eyes went to the balcony. There was only one way out.

As she slid the balcony's glass door open, a Vajra answered her summons. She climbed on its back and asked it to fly away from the hotel. For several minutes, they flew. Ranka simply sat there staring into the alien sky.

A low hum echoed from a distance and the wind stirred from the change in pressure. Ranka looked up. A ship was landing. From its outline, it was probably a NUNS fighter. Her eyes returned to the horizon.

The steady drone of engines grew louder and louder. It seemed to be getting closer. Alarmed, Ranka looked in the direction of the noise. Her eyes watered when she saw the valkyrie's yellow and black detail.

"Ozma-nii!" She reached out.

The valkyrie hovered next to her and the cockpit lifted up. "Ranka! What're you doing?"

She commanded her Vajra to move closer so that she could hug him. "Ozma-nii!"

Shifting to slave-mode, Ozma stood on the seat and caught her. "You shouldn't be flying alone, especially on that thing!" Then he saw the tears in her eyes. "What happened?"

Instead, Ranka hugged him tightly and cried. He cradled her on his lap and closed the cockpit. Someone was going to pay for making his Ranka cry. Grabbing the control stick, he guided the plane to the airbase where he left his car.

Once there, he made more startling discoveries. Ranka was only wearing a bathrobe from an obviously expensive hotel. Red marks that could only be hickies marred the pristine skin of her graceful neck. Not bothering to change out of his suit, they got into his car and he drove home.

Despite his efforts to get Ranka to tell him what happened, she remained uncooperative and morose. His frustration was replaced with surprise when they got home. A couple of armed NUNS soldiers were in front of his garage. He honked at them to move as the garage door opened.

Flipping his badge, he asked gruffly, "Hey, what happened here?"

The soldier saluted. "Just a break-in, Major. It's been going on around this area recently, so we're patrolling just in case."

His hand shot out to grab the soldier's vest. "Patrolling armed like a riot squad? Don't give me that sh--" He swallowed the curse. Ranka was nearby. "This is my house! What the hell is going on?!" he roared.

The soldier's gaze shifted away from him and back. "I'm sorry, sir. That's classified."

He stared at him with gritted teeth. Normally, he would beat the truth out of him, but since Ranka was there, he could not. He pushed him away. "Just stay out of my sight."

He parked in the garage and opened the door for Ranka. Together, they climbed the stairs. When they reached the door, he peeked cautiously. The living room and dining room looked normal, so they went in.

He knelt in front of Ranka. "Why don't you change? I'll go make some breakfast."

As soon as Ranka went into her room, he picked up the phone and dialed Cathy's direct line. Within minutes, he got a summary of what happened a few days ago. Now he understood why the soldier did not tell him the truth. His eyes went to the windows and living room. They did a good job of repairing and cleaning up. He hated to admit it, but Cathy did the right thing by not letting Ranka know about the break-in.

"So where's Sheryl now?"

"As far as I know, at her hotel," replied Cathy with a worried note in her voice. Then she added, "Ranka should be there too."

He almost yelled into the phone. "Like hell she will! You shoulda seen her this morning!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, but she can't stay at home. It's too dangerous."

"And the hotel is safer? Your guards didn't even know she left!"

Feeling insulted, Cathy replied coldly, "Very well, I'll email you directions to another safehouse."

"You do that." Then he added as an afterthought, "And thanks." He hung up. His mind organized his list for the day: breakfast, safehouse, Sheryl. That girl had some explaining to do.

* * *

Sheryl yawned and stretched. Other than a very naughty dream about Ranka, she slept well and felt very refreshed. As she sat up, she discovered that her nightgown was missing. She lifted the covers and saw that she was utterly naked. Then she noticed two sets of red stains on the sheets, one of which was next to her. Since the stains were near the middle of the bed, they probably did not come from her wound.

A drop of sweat rolled down her temple as she remembered her dream. "It can't be..." she whispered. She reached for her bathrobe, but her hand clutched empty air. A quick look around the bed revealed Ranka's clothes. Alarmed, she dressed up quickly and checked Ranka's room. No one was there. She opened her door. Pvt. Porter was standing outside.

"Good morning, have you seen Ranka?"

Pvt. Porter nodded. "About an hour ago, Miss Nome. She opened the door briefly, but didn't come out or talk to me."

"I see, thanks." She closed the door and called out, "Hope? Where are you?"

Hope crawled from the bedroom with white underwear over her head. Sheryl took it off and knew it was not hers. "Hope, do you know where Ranka went?" Hope shook her head. Under her breath, She muttered a curse. Closing her eyes, she contacted the small Vajra that was hiding under the balcony and confirmed that Ranka left. She thanked it and let it go.

Then she picked up the phone to call Nanase and Cathy. Nanase did not know anything while Cathy gave her an answer and a warning.

"Ozma is very upset. If he visits, keep one of the guards with you. He's less likely to turn violent when someone else is watching."

She swallowed. "I will. Thanks for the tip. Bye." She hung up. It was time to prepare for a visitor.

Her first visitor came in the middle of breakfast. Sheryl opened the balcony door and let her in.

"Good morning! You sleep ok?" greeted Ai cheerfully.

At the word 'sleep', Sheryl's eyes narrowed. "Did you sing last night?"

"Yes!" replied Ai happily. "I sing with everyone. So good!"

Sheryl's voice was dangerously low. "What did you do?"

"We sing for you. You feel better now?"

Her words puzzled Sheryl. Was Ai referring to her headache? But she was not there. How could she know that she had one? "My headache's gone."

"Then you cured now!" exclaimed Ai jubilantly.

It took a few moments for understanding to sink in. "Wait, are you talking about the virus?"

"Yes."

She paced back and forth. "Then... then... the song... last night... the queen thought that would cure me...? How?"

Ai shook her head. "I not know. She said sing like humans."

As her eyebrows creased, Sheryl bit the tip of her thumb. She was planning to wait for Ozma to show up and receive his anger as due for what happened. However, if the queen was behind it, then Ranka might forgive her. She picked up Hope and handed her to Ai.

"Let's go see the queen, shall we?"

With a summoned Vajra, they arrived at the mothership. Sheryl immediately confronted her.

"What did you do to us?"

"Ranka is healthy. You are not. So your body must learn to live like Ranka's body."

"By forcing us to... to..." Sheryl flushed at the memory.

The queen completed her sentence. "Breeding will help your body adapt."

Then she remembered Dr. Zore's reports. To survive in the harsh conditions of space, Vajra constantly evolve their bodies. She should have known that the queen would provide an answer in the Vajra way of thinking. She hung her head.

"This is my fault..." There was no way she could make excuses for this. Angrily, she yelled at the queen. "You should've told me first! Ranka could've given me her blood without breeding!"

"How?" asked the queen, genuinely puzzled.

"Well, a doctor can draw her blood from her body and inject it into mine."

"That is painful. We prefer more... pleasurable means to exchange body fluids."

Sheryl shuddered at the queen's expression and tone. Usually, she portrayed herself as a benign, motherly figure. At that moment, there seemed to be a hint of a leer in her smile and a seductive note in her voice.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before warning her, "Don't ever do this again. Humans aren't like Vajra. We don't breed to evolve like you do. Please don't get me wrong. I appreciate your help, but keep Ranka out of it. And next time, tell me what you're going to do."

"We do not understand, but we will do as you say."

With that, they flew back to the hotel. Sheryl held her head between her hands. Ranka must surely hate her now.

* * *

The next day, the Macross Quarter and the supply carrier, Falina, landed on Frontier. Both ships were heavily damaged and needed repairs. Immediately, military resources shifted to repairing the Macross Quarter while the civilian engineers unloaded the biogenerators.

During the meeting with Capt. Wilder and Capt. Stirling, Cathy's suspicious were confirmed. However, the news got worse when they told her that Grace stole a biogenerator.

"Major Sterne said that she's probably planning to clone herself." said Capt. Wilder.

Her fingers tapped on the table. "So let me get this straight. Grace O'Connor somehow transferred her sentience to a cyborg body on a ghost fighter and took over a Vajra nest. Then she stole a biogenerator and is going to clone herself."

"In a gist, yes."

She leaned back into her chair. "This is bad."

"Truly. We managed to avoid her Vajra troops by folding near nebulae where cosmic interference makes it more difficult to detect our protoculture engines." He leaned forward. "When will the repairs be done?"

"Around 7 to 12 days."

He shook his head. "Not fast enough. We have to strike soon before she makes more clones. Already, enough time has passed to finished one."

She smiled confidently and handed him a digipad. "We may have an alternative. With the recently discovered files about the Vajra, we've modified this Vajra carrier for human use. With Miss Nome or Miss Lee's help, this carrier can fold as far as their abilities can allow."

"How far?"

"At least twice as far as the Quarter. And it is not limited by irregularities."

Capt. Stirling whistled. "That's a big plus. But what about the crew?"

"Because of Grace and Leon, I still don't trust the Galaxy crew and even Frontier personnel. If possible, I'd like to borrow crew from the Quarter and the Falina."

Capt Wilder nodded. "Understood. Stirling and I will discuss the crew and give you a list within an hour or two. But even so, I strongly recommend cutting down the repair time. Also, Officer Lange is downloading our mission records into the servers, so upload those to the carrier. So how soon can it launch?"

"It's just waiting for a crew... and at least a diva. The carrier is part Vajra and also has Vajra fighters. I'll contact Miss Nome and Miss Lee to check their availability."

Capt. Wilder stood up. "Please do. I'll beg on my knees if I have to."

Cathy laughed. "That's my job. Anyway, please give me the list ASAP."

After the captains left, Cathy decided to call Sheryl first given Ranka's state. She hoped that she was more stable. When Sheryl answered with her usual clear voice, she was relieved. Then she told her the situation.

"Can you go?"

A few heart pounding moments later, Sheryl answered, "Yes."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I know how much trouble you're going through, so I really appreciate this."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You have no idea."

Cathy swallowed. Sheryl must be more upset than she let on. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"I'll keep it in mind."

"Once again, thank you. I'll call you with more details later. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

She hung up and rubbed her forehead. Another issue was added to her pile of worries. Her fingers punched Lt. Maxwell's number. Perhaps, she could investigate the situation between Sheryl and Ranka.

* * *

Patiently, Sheryl braced herself for Ozma's arrival. Yesterday, he came while she was at the mothership. Today, she expected him to come, but instead, someone else knocked on her door.

"Alto!" She hugged him. When she drew back, she noticed a bruise forming on his cheek. "What happened to you?"

"You tell me," said Alto while gingerly touching his bruise. "I was minding my own business when the captain just hits me out of nowhere." Then his face fell with surprise when he saw Ai. "Who's she?"

"That's Ai-chan." replied Sheryl proudly.

"No way!"

"She is. The queen transformed her so that she could live like us." She handed him some ice wrapped in a paper towel. "Here, put this on and have a seat."

Alto pressed the ice to his cheek and slumped down on the sofa. "Thanks."

She noticed the bandage on his arm. "Did he cut you too?"

"Nah. After Michel told me about your sickness, he had Canaria test me. Since I was infected by the V-type virus, I've been getting injections."

Sheryl paled and her hand leapt to her mouth. The virus was spread by bodily fluids. He probably got it from her or Ranka during the movie shooting. Since he was able to enter the flow during the battle, he still had it then. "I'm sorry about that... Are you going to be ok?"

"Don't worry. It's gone now, but Canaria gave me another shot just in case."

She exhaled with relief and sat across from him on a lounge chair. "Did he tell you why he hit you?"

"He said that it's my fault. He told me that I should've gone after Ranka." His eyes narrowed as Sheryl turned pale. "So I figured, you'd probably know what he was talking about."

She turned away. "No, I don't."

"Drop the act."

"You first."

"I dropped the lover's game a long time ago. Back then, when you told me to rescue Ranka, I thought that you finally realized it on your own. But now, I see that you're still pretending. She's a straightforward, honest girl. If you don't tell her directly, she'll just get confused."

She crossed her arms. "I can't. She's not ready yet."

He pointed to his cheek. "Look, I got this for no good reason. At least, tell me that it's not your fault." When Sheryl remained silent, he knelt in front of her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey, when I told you that I'd stand by you, it wasn't because you were dying. It's because I really meant it. I'm on your side, ok?"

Those kind words melted her calm facade. "Oh, Alto..." She wept into his chest.

Alto hugged her and patiently listened to her story. He stroked her head just like his mother used to do when he was young. Luckily, it worked and she seemed to calm down. He dropped the ice on the table and pulled some tissues from a nearby box.

"Here."

Sheryl gratefully accepted the tissues and blew her nose. "What should I do now?"

Alto ran his hand through his bangs. "Dunno..."

She sniffed ungracefully and leaned back onto her chair. "Some help you are."

"Hey, I was on the run from Vajra all week and just got here! How am I supposed to have answers?"

"Sorry."

As he returned to the sofa, Alto felt a bit relieved. At least, her teasing tone was back. "You're asking the wrong person. Romance is not my thing."

"This coming from Princess Sakura..."

His face darkened. "Sheryl..." he warned, his voice low.

She changed the subject hastily. "Ok, let's put it this way. If this happened to you, what would you do?"

"First of all, I'd never let that happen to me."

"Suuure."

They sat in silence for a while. Then Sheryl whispered sadly.

"She probably hates me now."

"Probably."

She stared at him angrily. "You're really no help at all."

Alto expelled a lungful of air. "Lemme explain it to her. Not knowing anything will probably confuse her even more. Where is she by the way?"

"At a safehouse. Let me call Cathy." Within a few minutes, she received the directions and printed them out for Alto. "Here."

Alto took the sheet and stood up. "Wish me luck and hope that her brothers aren't there. I've been shot at all week. I don't need any more injuries."

Sheryl bowed her head slightly. "Sorry about that. And thank you for listening."

"No problem." He ruffled Ai's hair. "Hey, Ai-chan. Take care of her, ok? Make sure she doesn't do crazy stuff."

For a moment, Sheryl looked indignant. "Hey...!"

At the same time, Ai responded enthusiastically, "Ok!"

Sheryl sighed. "By the way, you shouldn't be nice to every girl you meet. If you ever get a girlfriend, you'd be in big trouble."

Alto shook his head. "Can't. Mother said that I should treat girls as nice as possible."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Being a gentleman doesn't score you points all the time."

"Tell me about it." He shrugged. "But somehow, I can't see myself doing anything less."

"At least, make your girlfriend feel more special, ok?" She opened the door for him.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I'll keep that in mind... if I ever get one." He walked out.

"I'm sure you will. See you later."

He raised his hand as he strode to the elevators. "Later."

Sheryl closed the door and hoped for the best.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Quarter crew took the long-awaited break from their duties. In the barracks, a micronized Clan Clang checked her mail and found a delivery notice. At the mailroom, she exchanged the notice for a rectangular package. She brought the package to the break room where her subordinate, Lt. Nene Rora was watching the news.

She opened the package and gasped. It was a DNA capsule about six inches long and about an inch in radius. With trembling hands, she flipped it around to see the label. It read, "Michel Blanc. Male. Human." She did not read further and put it down gently. Her eyes spied a letter. Quickly, she opened it and read.

_Dear Ms. Clang,_

_As the executor of my cousin's will, it is my duty to give  
you this capsule that was specifically stated to be given  
to you upon Michel's death._

_Sincerely,_

_Monty Blanc_

Tears were falling from her eyes. "Damn you, Michel! I wanted a lifetime with you!" She held the capsule to her heart. "Damn you..."

"Captain..." Nene knelt next to her. She was about to ask why she was crying when she saw the capsule. Then she made the connection. "Is that Lt. Blanc's?"

Clan wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. She stood up. "Nene, can you tell Major Lee that I'll be taking a couple of days off?"

Nene's jaw dropped. "You're going now?"

Desperation filled Clan's face and her hands tightened around the capsule. "I'm going now, before Vajra appear or something else happens!"

"Then I'm coming with you."

Surprise replaced her worry. "Eh? I'll be fine. Don't waste your break on me."

"Please! This is important! Let me be by your side. You've trained me and saved me countless times in battle. This is the least I can do." She decided to chance it. "I'm sure that Lt. Blanc's child would be as wonderful as him, but being a single parent isn't easy. Please, let me help you raise the child. That way, you don't have to stop flying."

Clan was shocked. "Nene..." She could not meet her eyes. "I don't swing that way."

"I know. But still, please let me."

Clan lifted her head and began walking rapidly to the parking lot with Nene at her heels. "Lt. Rora, call Major Lee and tell him that due to an extreme personal emergency, I need tomorrow and the day after off. Since two of the squad would not be present, tell him that I'm canceling tomorrow's practice maneuvers." She glanced at her. "If they knock me out to do the procedure, I need someone to drive me home. You might as well tell him your days off too."

Nene's face brightened. "Captain!"

Together, they drove to the cloning facility.

* * *

Alto found the safehouse easily. However, when he saw Ozma's car, he decided not to go in. For the next two days, he stopped by briefly to check if Ozma was still there. On the afternoon of the second day, his chance came.

He got through the guards by flashing his badge and by saying he had a message from Sheryl. He was almost pleased with himself until Brera stood in his way. They stared at each other.

Alto cursed under his breath. It figured that the other brother would stay behind. Annoyed, he took a step forward. "Do you mind?"

Brera countered. "I told you before, you're not suitable for her."

"I know, so quit nagging." He made another step. When Brera moved again, he realized that he had to convince him. "Look, I'm not here from myself. I got a message from Sheryl." He held up the folded set of directions as if it were a letter.

Brera's cybernetic eye scanned the ink pattern and called his bluff. "You can't fool me."

Alto crumpled the paper. "Ok, you win. But I'm here because I know what's behind all this. Your sister hates not knowing the truth. Are you going to keep her in the dark?"

This time, Brera stepped forward to look him in the eye. "Tell me first."

"Overprotective brother," thought Alto. At least, he did not punch him out. He looked around. "You got a secure place around here?"

"Yeah. This way."

They walked down the hall and into another room. Brera closed the door behind them. Alto sat down and took a deep breath. Brera listened, his face stoic as usual.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ozma threw the bathrobe at Sheryl. "That from here?"

Sheryl nodded and remained silent.

He loomed over her menacingly and looked her straight in the eye. "Ranka was wearing that. Just that." When Sheryl looked away, he roared, "Look at me!"

When she did, he asked bluntly, "Did you fuck my sister?"

She swallowed and clenched her fists. It was time to face the music. "Yes."

A second later, she found herself on the ground. Her cheek stung and the salty, bitter taste of warm blood coated her tongue. The slap happened so fast.

"Major!" yelled Pvt. Porter, pointing a nerve taser at the base of Ozma's head.

"Fuck off!" He turned to knock her out, but his fist swung into thin air. A sharp pain erupted on his knee. The girl probably had commando training. As he dropped to his good knee, he felt that firm pressure on his neck again.

The door opened to admit Lt. Maxwell and two other women in civilian clothing. Ozma cursed under his breath. He glared at Sheryl who was sitting up and nursing her cut lip.

"Be thankful you're a girl. If you were a guy, I'd beat you up and leave you for dead. I'm only gonna say this once. Stay away from Ranka. You'll only hurt her. No, you've hurt her enough already."

He raised his hands to show that he was not going to attack. Then he glanced over his shoulder at Pvt. Porter. "I'm leaving now." Careful not to let his pain show, he drew himself up. At the same time, Pvt. Porter kept the taser on his neck.

Sheryl watched as Ozma was escorted away. When the door closed, tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes. Maybe he was right.

* * *

His expression changed to anger as soon as Alto told him about the queen's involvement.

"Those bugs! How dare they!" Brera opened the door.

Immediately, Alto tackled him. "Hey! What good is it to go on a rampage? Are you going to break the peace?"

"Well, someone's got to pay!"

"Sheryl..." Reluctantly, he continued, "Sheryl said she'll take the blame. She doesn't want Ranka to blame the queen."

Brera countered, "She doesn't look like it, but my sister's pretty smart. She'll figure it out eventually no matter how much you cover it up."

When he sensed that Brera relaxed, he loosened his grip. "I've only known your sister for short time, but I do know this. She's got a big heart. She was the one who reached out to the Vajra when everyone else wanted them dead, including me. If we explain it to her properly, I'm sure she'll understand."

Brera sat up and closed the door again. His stoic expression was back. "I'll do it. What should I say?" Just then, his phone rang. "Brera here."

Monica replied, "Major, please return to base for duty."

"Affirmative." He clicked it off and glared at Alto. "I've new orders. Looks like it's up to you."

Alto thanked the stars. "Where is she?"

"Third room down the hall. Come with me."

Brera showed him the room and left. Alto took a deep breath before knocking. "Yo... Ranka..."

There was muffled rustling behind door before it opened to reveal a depressed Ranka. "Alto!"

With shadows under her eyes and disheveled hair, Ranka looked much worse than he thought. He stepped into the room. "How are ya?"

"I'm ok," she muttered. She closed the door behind him. "You heard about the attack?"

It was hard to miss the newspaper in the break room. He sat down on the chair by the desk. "Yeah. But don't worry. They've found the accomplice."

Ranka sat on her bed and stared at the windowless walls around her. Compared to the hotel, this room felt suffocating. "Do you think they'll let me out now?"

"They should." It was now or never. "Listen, I've got a message from Sheryl."

Ranka stared at him, uncertainty clouding her eyes. "What is it?"

Slowly, Alto explained the situation. He tried his best to downplay the queen's role as a gross misunderstanding. As he watched for her reaction, he hoped for success.

For several seconds, Ranka just sat there. Then she burst into tears. "I thought... I did something..."

Alto sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. Ranka clung to his vest and cried. "It wasn't your fault." He waited patiently for her to calm down.

"When I woke up, I was so scared... I didn't know what to do..." she sobbed.

"It's ok. Don't worry about it."

"Is she ok?"

"Yeah." Then he added, "She's worried about you."

"Is she mad?"

"No, not at all. Do you want to see her?"

Ranka hesitated before answering, "Maybe... maybe tomorrow. I don't want her to see me like this."

Alto's phone rang. It was Brera. "Major, what's up?"

"Tell Ranka that I'm leaving this afternoon for the mission." He paused for a moment before asking, "How'd it go?"

Alto glanced over to Ranka. "Status is green."

Brera understood. "By the way, Sheryl is coming on the mission."

"She's what?!" exclaimed Alto.

"Our carrier is part Vajra. She's going to be at the helm."

"She's at the base?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks! We'll be right over!" He hung up and took Ranka's hand. "We got to get out of here. Your brother and Sheryl are leaving this afternoon!"

Ranka followed him out the door. "What? But why?"

"I think they're going after Grace." Alto started towards the front door before stopping in his tracks. The guards would undoubtedly stop them. He had to find another way out. "This way."

Carefully, they made their way to the back of the house. Unfortunately, the backdoor was also guarded. He decided to chance it. He grabbed a nearby broom and was about to open the door when he heard footsteps behind them.

"What are you doing with Ranka?" asked Ozma.

Alto cursed his luck. "Er... we're just going out for a walk..."

His eyes shifted between the two of them. "With a broom?"

A drop of sweat rolled down his temple. "Oh this? I knocked it over and just caught it." He leaned it against the wall.

"Ranka, go back to your room. I need to talk to Alto."

"No. Alto and I are going out."

Alto blinked. Her tone was strongly defiant.

Ozma's face hardened. "It's still dangerous out there. Listen to your brother."

"No! Onii-chan and Sheryl are leaving and I haven't said goodbye!"

At that moment, Alto threw his weight into his punch and hit Ozma squarely in the jaw. Then he opened the door. "Let's go!"

As soon as they stepped out, the guards assumed defensive positions. Alto gritted his teeth. He had no choice but to assume the role. His hand swiftly drew a hidden butterfly knife and held it to Ranka's neck. Then in his most menacing voice, he threatened, "Stay back or she gets it."

His ruse worked and the guards moved several paces back. Cautiously, he and Ranka made their way to his car. Quickly, he started the engine. Then suddenly, several shots were fired followed by the deafening burst of rubber. It was the sound of their defeat. Within seconds, they were surrounded. An angry Ozma opened the driver's door and hauled him to his feet.

"You amateur." He cocked his fist.

This time, Alto rolled with the blow. Before he could pick himself up, he was tackled and handcuffed. As Ozma carried a struggling Ranka away, he could only whisper an apology.

"I'm sorry..."

Ranka screamed, "No! Let me go!"

He was afraid of this. He barked at the medic. "Give her a shot!"

The medic nodded and put a high-pressure syringe on Ranka's arm. It made a dull popping noise. Immediately, her muscles relaxed.

"No..." protested Ranka weakly. Already, her eyes were closing.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." said Ozma. Carefully, he carried his unconscious sister to her room.

* * *

From the main screen, Sheryl watched the planet grow smaller and smaller. For these past weeks, she was happy to call it home.

"Coordinates are set, Captain." said Officer Mina Roshan.

Captain Stirling nodded. "On your mark, Miss Nome."

Sheryl placed a hand on the throbbing vein of the Vajra carrier. She hummed softly, feeling the power grow in its fold reactor. The gauge in front of her measured 25%... 45%... 60%... 85%...

When it reached 100%, Sheryl took one last look at the planet and then commanded, "Fold now."

Space collapsed as the reactor released its energy. A fold gate opened, and the carrier entered it.

Meanwhile, Alto watched the sky from the window of his cell. As the fold gate dimmed, he wished her good luck.

* * *

The following morning, Alto was escorted to another room. A feeling of dread crept into his stomach when he saw Captain Wilder and Ozma sitting at a table. He was going to be court-martialed for sure.

His assumption was shot down when the captain stood up and lectured them about separating one's personal life and duty. Ozma received the brunt of the tongue-lashing and was sentenced to the barracks for two days. Alto was enjoying Ozma's discomfort but then the captain also lectured him about his temper and hot-headedness. He ended by saying that he should keep a cool head since he has subordinates under his wing and that he should carefully consider the situation to minimize casualties.

At the end of the meeting, Alto breathed a sigh of relief. He escaped from a court-martial and was freed. Meanwhile, Ozma was escorted away by the military police. As they passed in the hallway, Alto put a victorious smirk on his face just to annoy Ozma. Ozma responded satisfactorily by glaring at him.

When Ozma was safely out of earshot, he attended to the other problem. He caught up with the captain and asked for permission to bring Ranka to his home.

"Why? This is a very safe place," asked the captain.

"Defensively, it is. But what Ranka needs now isn't an armored cell."

The captain looked thoughtful. "You have a point. But can you guarantee her safety?" asked the captain.

He saluted. "Yes, sir! I'll see to it personally."

The captain nodded slightly. "You have permission to request for undercover police as well."

"Thank you very much, sir!" He stood at attention until the captain was out of sight. Then he knocked on Ranka's door.

"Alto!" Ranka hugged him tightly. "I thought they took you away."

"Yeah... for a bit. But the captain's a fair man, so he let me go." He conveniently left out Ozma's incarceration. The old man needed to cool his head.

"Thank goodness! How's your face?"

He touched the bruises on his face, one for Sheryl and the other for Ranka. Sheryl's warning came back to him and he winced. "A bit tender, but they'll heal. Anyway, enough about me. I came to get you out of here."

Ranka's face brightened. "Really?"

Alto nodded. "The captain gave me permission. We're going to my place." When he saw the reluctance in Ranka's face, he assured her, "Don't look at me like that! You know I'm not that kind of guy!"

Then Ranka giggled. "I'm sorry... it's a guy's house after all."

Alto laughed. "Not really. It's like a set from a kabuki play. My parents were into that stuff, so they modeled our house in traditional Japanese style."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah. The sooner we leave, the sooner you'll see it."

They gathered her things and called Lt. Maxwell who was overjoyed to hear from Ranka. She picked them up and then picked up Ai and the rest of Ranka's things at the hotel before driving to Alto's house. Along the way, they consulted with Cathy and arranged for Lt. Maxwell's squad to patrol Alto's neighborhood.

After Lt. Maxwell dropped them off, Alto opened the gates. "Come on in."

Ranka's jaw dropped. The garden was huge and spacious. Meticulously manicured bushes mingled in harmony with the landscaping of boulders and gravel. As if in welcome, a carp jumped up from the pond that was fed by a meandering stream.

The house was similar to the ones she saw in historical art books. She marveled at the intricate decorative woodwork. Despite its wood-based architecture, the exterior showed no signs of rot and seemed well maintained.

She followed Alto through several corridors. He stopped in front of a room and slid the door. "This is your room." He showed her where to put her things and the bathroom. Then he checked his watch. "Make yourself at home. The servants will be serving lunch in a bit. I'll come by when it's ready. Later..."

Ranka waved. "See you later."

* * *

The carrier arrived near the last battle with the Vajra. Their destination was the closest nest. Based on the queen's information, the planet of a young queen was nearby. However, this queen had not responded to any probing from the other queens. Because of this, they suspected that Grace had killed the queen and taken over the nest.

After training with Brera on some simple martial arts or on the simulator, Sheryl waited patiently for the bridge to detect a planet with a breathable atmosphere in her quarters. She stared outside her window. Somewhere in that direction was Frontier. Never in her imagination did she think that she would end up on an alien carrier on a mission to hunt a cyborg.

Before she met Ranka, her world was the busy pace of show business. She thought it was all that she ever wanted. And yet, a hunger grew within her after meeting her. Just talking to her felt so refreshing.

"After I heard you sing, you made me drop my disguise and reveal myself."

When they first met, Ranka was just a bud waiting to blossom. And with a little push here and there, she did. However, there was a price. Sheryl bit her lip when she remembered using Alto to force Ranka's decision to accept Mao's role. She had seen how Elmo was promoting her prior to the movie and it was so painful to watch that she had to do something.

But in the end, it was worth it. Ranka exceeded her expectations and took to the stage as an equal. She was so proud of her.

Sheryl stared at her reflection in the mirror. "But... will you ever see beyond the poster? Am I doomed to be your rival?"

She looked out in the deep darkness of space and leaned against the cold glass. Frontier was so far away. "Ranka, I miss you..."

* * *

A day later, Officer Roshan reported that a planet about 5.2 light-years away matched the criteria. Sheryl made her way to the bridge. Upon her entry, the captain turned to her.

"Are you ready, Miss Nome?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir." Sheryl answered confidently.

"All hands to battle stations. Pilots ready to launch on my signal."

"Displaying coordinates," said Officer Roshan.

Sheryl clenched her hands. It was time for payback. Within seconds, the carrier folded near the planet. Her hand gripped her mic and she stepped on the platform. On the main screen, red dots appeared. She sent out a question and received no answer.

"Visual confirmed," said Officer Roshan.

"Is she here?" asked the captain.

She nodded. "Most likely. She doesn't know how to listen. I'll just have to show her." She cracked her whip and the Vajra fighters launched with the valkyries. Then she began to sing Infinity #7.

In the battlefield, Brera guided his two ghost fighter squads to the front. Their tactic was simple: restrain the enemy Vajra while the more maneuverable valkyries aimed for the vitals. Based on the analytical data gathered by the Frontier scientists, the pilots were given information about different Vajra types and their strengths and weaknesses. As the first wave of attacking Vajra were defeated, that information proved its usefulness. He smiled smugly at the number of converted Vajra that were joining their ranks.

As he surveyed the battlefield, he saw Luca's squad running after some retreating Vajra. His squad was in charge of preventing Vajra from reporting their batch of Yttrium Ultra-Reactive Incendiary missles to the nest. Their supply was limited, so they would be at a disadvantage if Grace's Vajra adapted to any of it.

He grew more concerned as Grace's Vajra approached the orbiting altitude of the planet. Soon, Luca would be too close to enemy lines and would have to break off his pursuit. At that moment, a barrage of flow beams hit Grace's Vajra. It was useless since Vajra are naturally protected against their own weapons.

However, his assumptions were shattered when another set of beams destroyed Grace's Vajra. Quickly, he scanned the data on the attack. The frequencies of the beams were shifting. The beams that destroyed the Vajra were modulated to a particular frequency that interfered with the Vajra molecular structure. As he stared at the subwindow that displayed Sheryl's performance on carrier, he understood what she did. Furthermore, he also realized why she refrained from using that tactic. If Grace ever found out how to do it, their Vajra would be in danger.

He returned his attention to the battlefield. It was time to do his share. When the second wave came, he baited a Vajra to follow one of his ghost fighters. When the Vajra did so, his valkyrie dived under the fighter and crossed paths, their vapor trails winding in a classic Hunter Weave. As soon as the Vajra was in his sights, he shot it through its belly. It exploded, filling the space with its entrails. He repeated the tactic of bait and switch, pretending to retreat and then transforming into battroid mode for the kill.

Meanwhile, he monitored his other squad. When he was busy, he would launch the AI control. As they defeated a group of Vajra, he smiled with satisfaction. Their AI correctly identified an attack scenario and executed the corresponding algorithm for counterattack. He could leave them alone while he concentrated on assisting other squads.

In particular, he noticed that Luca's squad was under heavy fire. He was about to assist when he noticed a group of Vajra swooping down to tackle enemy units. He watched in fascination as one of their Vajra did a martial maneuver and locked the enemy's limbs, exposing their vital points. He smirked. Sheryl was controlling them well.

Then Luca's valkyrie transformed to battroid mode and drew his reflex saber. He swept through several immobilized Vajra, slicing through their cores. The enemy Vajra were left to float lifelessly.

"I see," he muttered. "You knew that they were going to come after you thinking that you're an easy target. But they'll think twice now that you've bared your fangs." After the battle for the Vajra homeworld, Luca spent a considerable amount of time in the Quarter's simulator. His efforts were now bearing fruit.

As wave after wave was destroyed, the carrier moved closer to the planet. As soon as the bridge had located the nest, the carrier would bombard its location. Finally, Officer Roshan reported the coordinates.

Sheryl's voice rose in response. The carrier's main gun hummed with power. When the gun fired, she watched in satisfaction as its high-energy beam sped to its destination.

Suddenly, Hope began screeching loudly. She crawled over her shin and was shaking. A sense of dread filled Sheryl and her eyes focused on a large Vajra flying towards the carrier.

"Everyone retreat! Now!" cried Sheryl.

For a moment, the captain stared at her. Then he repeated, "All fighters retreat! I repeat, all fighters retreat!"

The carrier sped away from the planet. Sheryl felt that it was not enough. She commanded several Vajra to surround the large enemy Vajra flying towards them. Then she sang to strengthen their barriers. As soon as the carrier was in safe folding distance, she leapt off the stage and touched the carrier's vein. Her eyes stared at the main screen. The valkyries moved slower than the Vajra and were still too far from the carrier's normal fold radius. She sang desperately and increased the fold radius. The energy indicators were off the scale.

"Miss Nome!" warned Officer Roshan in alarm.

A drop of sweat wet her eyelid and she brushed it off. "I'm not leaving anyone behind! On my mark, get ready to fold!"

She cast her mind at the lone enemy Vajra and felt its flow. A flash of emptiness swept its mind.

"Now!"

The flow reactor burst into life and a large flow gate opened to encompass the valkyrie fighters. Meanwhile, her Vajra with barriers rammed the enemy Vajra. A sphere of purple light enveloped the enemy Vajra and crackled against the barriers of her Vajra. For several seconds, the barrier held before eventually collapsing.

By now, most of the valkyries entered the fold gate. The purple sphere grew at an alarming rate. It was time to make their exit. As the gate closed, the purple sphere flooded the space where the carrier used to be. Then it collapsed with the spatial effect of a miniature black hole, leaving no trace of anything that crossed its path.

* * *

Two days had passed since Sheryl and her brother left the planet. Everyday, Ranka would sit on the porch and watched the sky. That evening, Alto visited her after dinner.

"How's it going?

"Ok. Your family is very nice to me."

"That's good." He sat down next to her.

"Say, Alto..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like me?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Then, this is ok, isn't it?"

Before he could react, Ranka kissed him. As an actor, he could tell that her kiss felt forced, lacking any hint of passion. He decided to test his theory. He kissed her the same way Sheryl kissed him.

Ranka seemed to melt into the kiss and he felt her body lean against his. He maintained the kiss until Ranka's hand crept around his waist. That was the cue to switch to his brother's style of kissing. He kissed her harder and more insistently. Within seconds, Ranka broke off the kiss and turned away.

"Are you playing with me?" accused Ranka.

Alto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah... I guess you noticed."

"Which one was your real kiss?"

"None of 'em."

"Whose then?"

"A girl's and my brother's."

"Was the first one Princess Sakura's?"

"Nope."

Her voice trembled. "Who?"

"A really annoying slave-driving witch."

Ranka's shoulders twitched. He assumed that she realized whom he was talking about. For a few seconds, he waited for her to say something, but she remained silent. He decided to fill the silence between them.

"All my life, I was told to pretend to be someone else. And when I got older, I was told that I had to live my life the way they expected of me. Something in me broke when I realized that I didn't even know who I was. So I've decided, that no matter what, I was going to chose my own role. Even if my decision was bad, I'd own up to it, fix my mistakes and try again. I promised myself that I would have no regrets. Because in the end, I'm sure I'd find the real me. So what I think is, if you keep doing what other people tell you to, you'll never be happy because one day, there's something that you don't want to do for them. They'll be happy but you'll be miserable. My father realized that during the last big battle. He couldn't cage me in kabuki anymore. He'd rather see me perform, but at least, he doesn't complain about my flying."

Suddenly, Ranka started to cry. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Alto..."

Alto panicked. "Eh?! What... what's wrong?"

"Ozma-nii... he was so worried about me. He was really upset about Sheryl... He told me... I should date more guys. He was so upset... I don't want to worry him anymore. He's taken care of me since I was little. I didn't want to make him mad. But if I..."

Alto hugged her and she wept away her fears. "So that was it," thought Alto as he stroked her head. He suspected her motives when this usually shy girl kissed him out of the blue. Patiently, he held her until she calmed down.

"Say, Alto..."

"Yeah?"

"If you liked a girl... and that girl... she likes you, but then she realized later that... she loves somebody more. Would you be really heartbroken?"

He had to handle this delicately. "Maybe, I'd be a bit heartbroken. But in the end, I'd want her to be happy. If she's happier with someone else, then I'd bow out. I'd still like her though, and I'd ask if we could still be friends."

"I see... thank you." She pulled away from him and looked at the stars.

"No problem."

Then they exchanged news about the past week. He talked about his battles while she talked about her lessons. Internally, he chuckled in amusement whenever she talked about what Sheryl did. Her face seemed to light up and admiration danced in her eyes.

Around 9 PM, he decided to wish her good night. "I'd like to visit Father for a bit. He wants to do another play, but I think he needs to rest more. He's gotten older, but he ignores it."

Ranka bowed. "Please thank him for letting me stay here."

"Yeah."

She watched him until he turned the corner. Then she returned her attention to the stars. Somewhere in that vast space, Sheryl was on a mission. Eventually, her mission would end and she would fold home. When that happened, the sky would reveal her arrival.

So much had happened since they met. Her thoughts went back to the day when Sheryl stopped her on the street. Even though they talked for a long time, she did not even recognize her. Then she remembered when Sheryl asked what she liked about the Galaxy Fairy.

Her hand crept to her heart. "I must have sounded so silly just talking about her when she was right there."

Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered Sheryl's compliment. "Were you flirting with me then?"

Her mind flashed images of their moments together. As she recalled the events on the first day of shooting for the movie, she remembered her feelings when she saw them kissing.

"I thought it was because Alto was kissing you. But now I see, it was the other way around... it was because you kissed him. And it was like that for all the other times too."

She stood up and spoke to the sky. "I'm sorry... I didn't even know myself. So come home. Come home to me. I... I miss you..."

With that, Ranka turned in for bed.

* * *

The next day, Ranka watched the sky again. To pass the time, she would tell Ai about human customs or practice grammar with her while keeping an eye on the sky.

Her vigilance was awarded on the afternoon of the fourth day. They were listening to Sheryl's CDs when Ai jumped up.

"He called!" Unlike human ears, Ai's were more sensitive.

Excitedly, Ranka opened the dresser and picked Brera's phone. Her impatient fingers pressed the key combination to retrieve the message.

Sheryl coll#psed. Ca#diac arres#.  
Not #reathi#g.##end help.  
23##60.284,#4675.654,84607##79

As she read the message again and again, Diamond Crevasse played in the background.

_When I was still in love with god, [6]_  
_I never expected such a farewell would come._  
_If I had known I could never feel your touch again,_  
_I would've hoped to be embraced just one last time._  
_It's long long good-bye..._

As soon as she heard that line, she broke down and cried.

* * *

Music references:  
[5] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD1, Aimo, aimo, Tori no Hito  
[6] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD1, Diamond Crevasse

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Track 5: Love and Hope


	5. Track 5: Love and Hope

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For mature readers, the Rated M version of Track 5 is archived on my website in compliance with FF net's rules. See my profile for the link.

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**Track 5: Love and Hope**

The wind played with his hair. Unlike the generated wind of Island 1, this wind was playful and even whimsical. He cut the engines of his flight suit and dived sharply, feeling the acceleration. At the critical point, he banked up and flew towards the bright sun in a tight corkscrew. His arms reached out to the heavens and welcomed the sky at the apex of his ascent. For a moment, he remained still and suspended.

His eyes gazed over the landscape of Frontier. From here, he could imagine possibilities of the future. On this planet, the colonists were rebuilding their lives. It was a world where everyone could stretch out their wings and fly.

As he watched the colony below, images of his friends, family and crewmates flashed through his mind. He prayed, "Live... live and I'll protect this sky for you."

The insistent pull of gravity broke his reverie. He angled his wings and caught the wind. As he glided level to the horizon, his phone rang. He picked it up. "Alto here."

"Alto... she's dead..." came Ranka's sobbing voice.

"Who's dead?!" exclaimed Alto.

"Sheryl... Brera sent a message... and I can't sense her..."

"What?! Send me the message."

Within minutes, he got a copy of Brera's message. "She collapsed... That doesn't mean anything. Look, it doesn't say that she's really dead. The Quarter's almost repaired. We can launch tomorrow."

"That's too late! I'd rather fold on a Vajra instead!"

"Do you know where she is?"

"I don't know."

Alto stared at the message and cursed. The numbers below the text looked like a set of coordinates. Brera was probably trying to tell them the carrier's location. "Maybe we can ask someone to trace it."

"Cathy said that it's a Galaxy phone. She knows the scientists who built it."

"Ok, let's go see her. I'll meet you at City hall. In the meantime, ask the guards to call her."

Meanwhile, Cathy was meeting with the bioengineers when she received the news. She quickly cancelled the meeting and hurried back to City hall. Lt. Maxwell, Ranka, Ai and Alto were already there.

She held out her hand. "Where's the message?"

Ranka handed her Brera's phone. Despite the errors, there was no doubt of its contents. "I'll ask the Galaxy engineers to do a trace. They may be able to give us an idea of the carrier's last location. Then I'll put more crews on the Quarter. It should be ready to launch in a day."

Ranka stood up, her face filled with desperation. "That's not enough! Just let me know where to fold and I'll ask a carrier to get me there!"

"I see. I'll let you know when we've got the coordinates. In the meantime, please see the queen. If she has any idea why Sheryl collapsed, then we may be able to figure out how to save her." Cathy put a gentle hand on Ranka's shoulder and tried to reassure her. "Dr. Jenus and Dr. Zore are with her. I'm sure they'll do what they can to stabilize her until we come."

"I'll go see the queen now."

"I'll take you there," offered Alto.

They walked to the parking lot where Alto's valkyrie stood in gerwalk mode. Using slave-mode, Alto manipulated a hand to lift them up to cockpit level. He helped Ranka into her seat before hopping into his. Once secure, they flew to the mothership with Ai hanging on to the wing.

Once there, Ranka wasted no time in explaining the situation to the queen. The queen's benign expression shifted to concern.

"We shall find her. Sing with us."

Her quavering voice blended with the queen's. As she sang, she felt several other voices echoing from a distance. Suddenly, an immense presence filled her mind.

"Feel her in the flow..." whispered the mother queen.

Ranka reached out and felt herself floating through space. She flew across thousands of dazzling stars and unique cosmic anomalies but none of them caught her attention. In the end, her eyes focused on an image of a Vajra carrier surrounded by asteroids.

"There!" she cried.

"It is far for you," said the queen. "Sing with us and we will guide you there. Go to her. Bring her back."

"I understand. I'll go right away." She left the flow and opened her eyes. She turned to Alto. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah."

They flew out of the mothership and located the carrier that they were allowed to use. With Ranka's directions, Alto guided his valkyrie to a large chamber. He transformed to gerwalk mode and landed. In the middle of the chamber, thick tentacles suspended a crystal about the size of a car. Ai flew to it and touched the crystal. A purple light flashed within it.

"This is the fold reactor," explained Ranka. "The queen and I will synchronize and she will help us fold to where Sheryl is."

The veins of the carrier throbbed. He felt the valkyrie lean to the side. Quickly, he adjusted its balance.

"I'm asking it to go into orbit," explained Ranka. "When we're far enough, we're going to fold."

Before they folded, the queen warned her. "Beware. She sends them."

She relayed the message to Alto before she synchronized with the queen. "Alto, the queen says that there might be enemy Vajra."

"Roger." Alto checked his instruments and primed his weapons.

They folded into the midst of a battle. Alto immediately broadcasted their IFF. Within seconds, Brera hailed them.

"It's about time! Get over here and I'll cover you!" yelled Brera.

"Go, Ranka! I help too!" yelled Ai. Her hand on the crystal glowed an eerie red.

His valkyrie transformed to fighter mode and flew out of the carrier. A bright glow behind them indicated that the Ai's carrier was preparing to fire.

"Over here!" yelled Brera who was blasting away as he flew in battroid mode.

Alto spotted him and followed his lead. Along with Brera, three ghost fighters escorted them to towards Sheryl's carrier. Alto looked at his radar and noted a swarm of Vajra behind them. He hated running, but he had no choice. Keeping an eye on his radar, he dodged their attacks.

Suddenly, there was a great flash of light and a high-pressure wave pushed them forward. The radar indicated that most of the Vajra were flung almost half a light-year away.

Behind him, Ranka whispered, "Thanks, Ai-chan."

He smiled quietly then focused his eyes on Sheryl's carrier. "Let's go! To Sheryl!" He pushed the lever to full throttle, causing his valkyrie to surge ahead.

When they reached the docking area, Ranka begged, "Don't stop. Go right."

Alto obeyed and transformed to gerwalk mode to fit in the tight corridors. With Ranka's directions, they reached the fold reactor chamber. There, by the side of the crystal, was a cocoon. Dr. Jenus and Dr. Zore were nearby and seemed to be monitoring it.

"Sheryl!" yelled Ranka as soon as the cockpit rose. Hastily, she clambered down the valkyrie and ran to the cocoon. "Sheryl!"

"She's in some sort of stasis," said Dr. Zore.

Ranka's eyes widened in alarm as she saw the heartbeat reading on the monitor: a flat line. Then there was a loud explosion and the carrier shook. Ranka grabbed a nearby vein for balance.

"Ranka! I'm gonna fight!" With that, Alto took off.

She touched the cocoon. "What should I do?" she thought desperately.

Just then, a presence touched her mind. She recognized her. "Hope! Is that you?"

Warmth increased under her hand and the urge to sing filled her. Then she understood. "Please watch over her, Hope! I'll be right back!"

She sprinted to the bridge as fast as her legs allowed. As soon as she entered the bridge, she commanded, "The mic!"

Someone handed her Sheryl's mic. She ran up the platform and sang Northern Cross. The sound system recognized the melody and played the instrumentals. Soon, the tide of battle turned in their favor. In less than ten minutes, the enemy Vajra were defeated.

Their fighters were recalled as quickly as possible. Ranka asked Ai, "Are you ready?"

Ai answered, "Yes, I follow."

It took several folds to make it back to Frontier. In exhaustion, Ranka collapsed onto a nearby chair. Her lips curved up into a smile as Frontier centered on the main screen. "Home at last," she whispered.

The next hour seemed to drag into eternity as the cocoon was delivered to the queen. Anxiously, Ranka waited for the queen's assessment as her tentacles hovered over the cocoon. Then several tentacles punctured the cocoon with a sticky squishy sound.

"Only a little more," said the queen. "We will watch over her until she wakes."

"Is she dying?" asked Ranka anxiously.

"No, she is changing."

"What do you mean? I don't understand!"

"She will be part of us, as you are part of us."

That statement confused Ranka even more. When did she become part Vajra? Did that mean that she was infected too? She turned to Dr. Zore.

"The queen said that I'm part of them. Am I infected by the virus?"

"Not directly." Dr. Zore tapped over his digipad and displayed a report. "Your mother was infected while you were in her womb. Somehow, your infant cells were able to adapt to the virus."

Her eyes sped through the text. When she was done, she looked up. "Then what about Sheryl?"

"I suggested to Sheryl that the queen might be able to help if she explains her condition well enough. To this effect, I've been writing reports so that she can explain it to the queen." He put a hand on her shoulder. His voice was tinged with sadness and guilt. "I'm willing to take responsibility if circumstances turn for the worse. I was the one who made the suggestion."

Ai held her hand. "It is fine. The queen save her. Just wait."

A wave of relief surged through Ranka's body. Tears dripped from her eyes. Ai hugged her tightly and she wept on her shoulder.

Brera and Canaria Berstein came after they had finished dinner. Brera hugged his sister. "How is she?"

"The queen is looking after her now. Ai told me to wait," replied Ranka as she sat next to him by the cocoon. "What happened?"

"That damn Grace tried to wipe us out with a Dimension Eater." He heard Ranka gasp. "Yeah, that one... the same kind we used on Island 3. Looks like she built one, and sent it on a Vajra. Somehow, Sheryl knew it was coming. She told everyone to retreat."

He clenched his fists. "But we weren't fast enough. So she increased the fold radius and waited for everyone to gate through. If it weren't for her, half the fleet would've died. She collapsed after the carrier escaped."

Dr. Jenus continued, "We did our best to stabilize her and remove the toxins in her body, but her nervous system was behaving erratically. Before we knew it, she went into cardiac arrest. We were about to pronounce her dead when Hope came with several Vajra and took her away to the reactor chamber. Then Hope underwent some sort of metamorphosis and formed a cocoon around Sheryl."

Ranka's eyes grew wide and she turned to Ai. "What will happen to Hope?"

"When Sheryl wake, Hope change too. She like me before this body." responded Ai.

She exhaled with relief. "Thank god!"

They kept vigil through the night. The scientists brought their shuttle so that they could prepare food and take turns sleeping in its bunk beds.

On the afternoon of the next day, Ranka sat by the cocoon and began editing her song on her digipad. Soon it would be finished, and she could sing it for Sheryl. She tried out the melody.

_Show me your guiding hand_  
_And let me know your touch._  
_Hold me in your arms_  
_And make me want you._  
_Sing me your shining song_  
_And awaken my true self._

_Each moment together_  
_becomes a star in the sky._  
_My night is bright with joy..._

A glob of goo splashed on the digipad. In alarm, Ranka turned around and saw a crack in the cocoon. The monitor beeped weakly, causing the flat line to produce a wiggle.

"Her heart is starting again!" exclaimed Dr. Zore as he fiddled with the instruments.

Ranka dropped the digipad and touched the cocoon. "Sheryl!"

The crack widened and goo gushed out, covering Ranka. The scientists hastily stepped away but she did not care. She moved forward and reached for the shadowy form within the cocoon. Her arms grew heavy as that form slid onto her. She staggered for balance and tried to maintain her position.

Ai put her arm around her and reached in as well. Together, they caught Sheryl and positioned her over their laps. Sheryl began to cough. Ranka lifted her head with her left hand and swept the goo from her nose and mouth with her right. Then she drew a deep breath and covered her mouth with her own. She exhaled into Sheryl's mouth.

She repeated the exchange until Sheryl began to breathe normally. Then Sheryl opened her eyes. Her pupils wandered randomly at first and then focused on Ranka.

Her lips formed a whisper. "Hi..."

Ranka swallowed and tried to remain calm, but already, she could feel tears flowing down her cheeks. "Hi... how are you feeling?"

Sheryl drew a deep breath. "Like a really bad period..."

A few moments later, Dr. Jenus handed Ai a towel. Ai took it and began to wipe off the goo on Sheryl's body.

"We should get her to the hospital as soon as possible," said Canaria as she wheeled over a stretcher.

Ranka noted her gloved hands and medical gown. Everyone kept his or her distance from the goo. She could only guess that they were afraid of contracting the V-Type infection. With Ai's help, she and Canaria transferred Sheryl to the stretcher and took her to the shuttle. Then they flew to the hospital where Sheryl was placed in a special room to monitor her condition. During that time, Ranka held her hand until the hospital staff told her to stay in the waiting area.

While they waited, Canaria convinced them to shower. Two excruciatingly long hours later, Ranka and Ai were allowed to see her. On their entrance, Sheryl smiled from beneath her oxygen mask. She held up her hand and Ranka clasped it to her heart.

"You're crying again."

"That's because you keep on worrying me!" She hastily wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I worry too!" said Ai.

"Sorry... I was afraid of that..." She paused to breathe. "I overheard them... Canaria was going to send you home." She took another breath. "I told her, that I'd bring the swarm down if... hah... if she did that. She made you wait... I don't like it... hah... I'm going to... sleep a little bit, ok? So don't worry. Get some sleep too..."

"No! I'm not leaving!" protested Ranka.

Sheryl squeezed weakly. "You silly girl..." Then she closed her eyes.

Immediately, Ranka stared at the monitor that displayed her vital signs. Her anxiety went away as she confirmed a steady heartbeat. Sitting on a nearby chair, she began her vigil again.

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The scent of fresh eggs and pancakes filled the air. Ranka got out of bed and walked down the stairs. Her mouth watered at the dishes on the table. Sheryl turned around in her apron.

"Have some breakfast, Honey!"

She woke up with a start, causing the blanket around her shoulders to fall. By the height of the sun, it was morning.

"Finally, you're awake!" came that familiar teasing lilt. "Now we can have breakfast!"

Ranka almost tackled her in relief. "Sheryl!" She buried her stinging eyes in the warmth of her hospital gown. "I was so worried!"

Sheryl stroked her head. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, ok?"

Ranka pulled away and wiped her tears. "You better..."

Her hand stroked her cheek. "Hush now. I'm fine, see? I'll feel even better if I eat some food."

As if on cue, Ai wheeled the food cart near the bed. Ranka followed up by adjusting the movable tray in front of Sheryl.

Breakfast was an eerie affair as the dishes from her strange dream showed up in their meal. However, the eerie feeling was eclipsed by Sheryl's increased appetite. She had never seen her eat so fast and so much.

When Sheryl was done, she leaned back into her pillows contentedly. "Aaahhh, that was good."

Ranka giggled. She was relieved to see her acting normally. "When can you go home?"

"I'm feeling so good that I'd go home right now, but Dr. Jenus wants to do more tests."

"I see."

"But in the meantime, I need a bath." Sheryl swung her legs off the side of the bed and took a few steps before swaying precariously.

"Sheryl!" Ranka quickly caught her. "Don't force yourself!"

"I was just a bit dizzy," said Sheryl. "I'll be fine."

Ranka slipped an arm around her waist. "What if you fall in the shower? I'll help you. Ai-chan, can you ask the nurse for a change of clothes?"

"Sure!" responded Ai enthusiastically. She zoomed out of the room and left.

As she closed the bathroom door, Sheryl spoke quietly.

"How're you going help me when you couldn't even look at me with my clothes on?"

Ranka colored visibly as she noted the subtle challenge. She seated her on the stool in the tub. Irritably, she said, "I'm just a bit shy, ok? And it's not like I haven't seen what you have."

"You're right." With that, she began to remove her gown.

Ranka swallowed. Her body was more beautiful than she remembered it to be. Her eyes took in her graceful curves and ample bosom. Unfortunately, her view was obstructed when Sheryl held up her gown in front of her face.

"I'm ready now," declared Sheryl as she modestly covered her front with an arm.

Ranka took the gown and gave her a small towel to cover her front. Then she pulled off the showerhead from its receptacle and extended its hose. She knelt by the side of the tub and positioned the nozzle over Sheryl's head.

Sheryl closed her eyes as warm droplets rained down. Ranka's hand threaded gently through her sticky hair and slowly eased her tangled locks. Giddiness spread across her stomach and she could not tell whether the warm water running over her skin or Ranka's caressing hand caused it.

Slowly but surely, her head felt lighter and her scalp tingled as grime was washed away. With another rinse, she could already feel its clean silkiness against her shoulders and back.

Her eyes opened when she felt a sponge against her back. "Wow... I wonder how far she'll go..." thought Sheryl.

She got her answer when Ranka asked, "Please move your arm."

Sheryl obeyed. She gasped as the bath sponge scrubbed gently against her chest. It was too much. Her hand leapt up and grabbed Ranka's wrist, causing her to drop the sponge. "That's enough... I can manage by myself."

"Umm... Sheryl..."

Without the bath sponge in the way, Ranka's hand was in full contact with her breast. Quickly, she let go.

Just then, Ranka snickered. A sly gleam twinkled from her eye. "Who's the shy one now?"

Her face burned and she covered her front with the towel. "Why... you!"

Ranka laughed heartily. The look on her face was priceless. "It's your fault for making me lose the sponge!" She picked up the sponge and rinsed it before offering it to Sheryl. "Here. You scrub and I'll rinse. It'll be faster that way."

"Alright." Sheryl took the sponge and began the scrub. She had performed for thousands of people and modeled for countless magazines. And yet, for some reason, she felt more self-conscious now than ever before.

Purposely, she skipped scrubbing the inside of her thighs. Unfortunately, Ranka noticed.

"You missed a spot," said Ranka as she aimed the spray at her legs.

Blushing fiercely, Sheryl held out her hand. "Give me that!"

Instead of obeying, Ranka smirked, "If I give it to you, will you guarantee that you won't spray me?" When Sheryl did not answer at once, she asked again, "Well?"

Her intentions anticipated, Sheryl muttered, "Ok, I won't..." When Ranka handed her shower head, she asked, "Please turn around."

Satisfied with the results of her teasing, Ranka turned around and waited until she was done. When she was ready, she took two towels from the cabinet. She gave one to Sheryl to wrap around her while she used the other one to dry her head. Then she helped Sheryl out of the tub and seated her on the stool in front of the mirror. With the hair dryer and brush, she dried the remaining water and styled her hair.

At the same time, Ranka sent a quick question to Ai who answered by bringing her a clean hospital gown. Sheryl took the gown and slipped it over her head. Then she did the fasteners on its back.

"Thanks," said Sheryl as Ranka helped her up.

"It was my pleasure," replied Ranka with a wink.

Her response caused Sheryl to blush as she recalled what happened earlier. Usually, she preferred to be the one teasing and not the one being teased. But in this case, a part of her was thrilled at the thought of a more assertive Ranka.

Ranka opened the bathroom door and was surprised to see visitors. "Nana-chan! Luca!"

Nanase stood up and waved. "We heard you were back! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," replied Sheryl. "How about you?"

As they chatted away, Ranka was glad to see Nanase walking on her own. Luca stood close to her, his eyes stealing glances at his new girlfriend. They were a cute couple.

They chatted until Canaria came in with the scientists. "Hello everyone. I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to do some tests to make sure Sheryl is ok."

"When will you be done?" asked Ranka.

"It'll probably take two hours or so," replied Canaria while she prepared the scanner. "You should go home. We'll take care of things here."

Reluctantly, she filed out of the room with Ai, Nanase and Luca and was already making her way to the waiting room. A familiar gruff voice stopped her.

"Ranka," said Ozma as he stood before her. "Come home. It's safe now. Brera and I are there."

She clenched her hands. It probably was safe, but after his lecture, she was afraid to be subjected to more of it. However, there may be a way out. Alto said that the Quarter repairs were almost done and that it would go on another mission to hunt Grace down. If she could stall long enough, then she would not need to go home.

"Just one more day, Ozma-nii. Let me be with Alto for one more day. I... I feel safe with him." Hopefully, she sounded like a love struck teenager.

Ozma ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Oh well... I guess it can't be helped." He knelt before her. "I wish I was there. I would've made sure that those bastards regretted attacking you."

She hugged him. "Thanks, Ozma-nii."

Ozma stood up and ruffled her head as if she were still a child. "And tell that brat that if he doesn't take good care of you, he'll be sorry. Very sorry."

"Don't worry. His family is looking after me."

She watched him leave before going to the waiting room. Patiently, she waited and had lunch with Ai when they got hungry. Around 2 PM, she was about to check if the tests were done when Sheryl walked in with Lt. Maxwell. She was already dressed in normal clothes.

"Sheryl!" cried Ranka as she threw her arms around her.

With the extra weight, Sheryl leaned on her cane. At the same time, Lt. Maxwell placed a steady hand on her back. "Whoa! Careful now!"

Ranka drew back and held her hand. "How were the tests?"

She smiled triumphantly. "I'm cured."

Joy filled her heart. "What?! Really?"

Sheryl nodded. "All thanks to you, Hope and the queen." She held up her right wrist that had a bracelet of some sort. It was about two inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. It was snug against her wrist and showed a several numbers on its display.

"However, just to be safe, they've tagged me with this to monitor my vital signs. They wanted me to stay a day longer, but I told them that if I don't go home, you'll worry yourself to death. So this is their compromise."

Ranka blushed at her excuse, but she could not complain. "Does that mean you can go home now?"

Sheryl smiled widely. "Yes."

She hugged her again. "Alright!"

As usual, Lt. Maxwell drove them to Sheryl's hotel. Upon arriving there, Ranka discovered that her room was not reserved anymore since she was staying at Alto's house. As she entered Sheryl's suite, she hoped that Sheryl would let her sleep on the sofa.

"Ai-chan, I'm a little worried about Hope. Can you check on her?" asked Sheryl.

"Ok!" Ai went out the balcony and flew away.

Ranka wondered why Sheryl asked Ai to do that when she could have just asked the queen. Just then, she realized that they were alone together for the first time since Ozma returned. She waited until Sheryl sat down on a sofa before sitting next to her.

She drew a deep breath, gathered her courage and asked, "So... what did you want to talk about?"

The startled look on Sheryl's face confirmed her suspicions. Sheryl cleared her throat.

"Well... we didn't get a chance to talk ever since... that time."

Ranka blushed as she remembered what she had assumed to be a dream. However, she kept silent.

Sheryl continued, "It's my fault, you see... I should've thought it through before asking the queen. I didn't realize that they would involve you like that. I'm really sorry. It shouldn't have happened." She paused.

When Ranka did not say anything, she continued, "If I knew that they were going to do that, I would've stopped them. That sort of thing... well, if it were up to me, I wouldn't even plan on doing something like that until much later."

"When would you do it?" asked Ranka.

Sheryl swallowed. "Well... first, I'd find out if she might be interested in me." She opened the drawer of the cabinet next to the sofa and pulled out a yaribue. "Then, I would give this to her."

Ranka took it from her and ran her hand across its undulating curves that symbolized the meeting of the ocean and the wind. She wondered which role Sheryl represented. "What else?"

Sheryl clasped her hands together and stared at the floor. "If she accepts, then I'd ask her to go out with me. We'd go on dates, have fun... maybe k-kiss... but I wouldn't sleep with her right away... only if we were really serious..." Already, she could feel her cheeks burning. She chanced a glance at Ranka and noticed that she was holding the yaribue on her lap. She stared at the floor some more.

She waited for Ranka to say something, but she did not. Unable to stand the silence, she blurted out, "I guess, if we really liked each other, I'd propose to her and give her a ring."

Finally, Ranka spoke. "What kind of a ring?"

Sheryl reached into the cabinet again and picked up a small box. She was about to open it when Ranka deftly plucked it from her hand.

She opened the box and gazed at the ring. "That's a really big diamond!"

"It's not a diamond," declared Sheryl proudly.

Her eyes narrowed and disappointment dripped from her voice. "Cubic zirconia?"

Indignant, Sheryl countered, "I'm not that cheap! I want the best for my beloved!" Then her voice changed to a mysterious key. "Something special... something like... starfire..." She cupped her hand over the ring, enveloping it in darkness.

Ranka peeked under her hand and gasped in astonishment. Even though it was dark, a flickering light seemed to come from inside of the gem. She cupped her own hand over it to make it even darker. The gem sparkled brightly, throwing a kaleidoscope of colors against her hand. "How... how does it do that?"

"I don't know," replied Sheryl. Dr. LaSalle is still trying to figure it out. But at least, it's as hard as a diamond." Sheryl chuckled. "The jeweler had a hard time cutting it."

"Where did you find this?"

"Hope picked it up somewhere. She has a pile of junk in the corner of my room. One night, I saw something flashing brightly and there it was. So I had Dr. LaSalle check it to make sure it was safe before taking it to the jeweler."

"It's a very nice ring," remarked Ranka as she closed the lid and placed it on the side table next to the sofa. "What other Mayan traditions would you include?"

"What traditions?" repeated Sheryl in confusion. A drop of sweat rolled down her temple. "Like the wedding and the three day celebration?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"That would be nice to have. And then what?"

Sheryl wiped her clammy hands on her skirt. Somehow, she had a feeling that she just agreed to do something that she did not plan to. "After the wedding... I guess we'll go on our honeymoon. And then, that's when... we'll do it..." Her voice trailed off.

"It's a good plan," said Ranka with a wide grin on her face.

Her restless hands gripped the sofa cushion that she was sitting on. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Yes, I think so."

Sheryl's hand slowly reached for the yaribue but Ranka moved it away. For several seconds, they sat in silence.

Her heart was beating rapidly. "Are we officially dating now?"

"No," replied Ranka casually.

Her heart sank. What did she do wrong? "But... the yaribue..."

Ranka reminded her, "By tradition, the date starts at midnight."

Sheryl checked the clock. 3:47 PM. "You mean, I have to wait for 8 more hours?!"

Ranka leaned back, her hands still holding the yaribue. "You have to. Otherwise, the kadun of dating will curse you for breaking the rules."

Sheryl frowned. "There's no such thing!"

Her eyes challenged her. "Are you willing to chance it?"

Instead of answering, Sheryl went to the clock. Several button clicks later, it read 12 AM. She placed her hands on each side of Ranka's head and leaned over her. "Even if it exists, it won't come."

"That's good," murmured Ranka as her hand wove around Sheryl's neck. "We won't be disturbed." Then she kissed her.

Her lips were softer than she dreamt it to be. Ranka caressed them with her own and lightly nibbled at them. Sheryl's lips did the same and slowly traced its contours.

Her body yearned for the warmth that the dream promised. Her free hand moved the yaribue to the side table before reaching for Sheryl's arm. She slid sideways to lie on the sofa and urged Sheryl to follow.

Sheryl complied and lay on top of her. Their lips met again to continue their dance. Meanwhile, her hands wandered over Sheryl's curves and slowly slid across her back. Then one hand threaded through those golden-coral silky tresses, spreading the fragrance of her shampoo.

"You're like the wind," thought Ranka as she gazed into those light blue eyes. "I loved to sing but I was content to just sing for myself. But ever since I heard you sing, your song fanned the flame of my dream. With each kind word you gave me, you lured me to follow you to the sky and lifted me up." She hugged the Galaxy Fairy tightly, feeling her ample bosom press against hers. "Is it too greedy of me to be a star in your sky?"

The temperature of the room seemed to rise with each kiss. An insistent warmth grew between her thighs and became harder to ignore.

Then Sheryl buckled to her left side. "Can we move to the bed?" she pleaded. "It's getting more difficult to prop myself up."

Ranka cupped her face between her hands and watched the cute expression on her face. "You're not sticking to your plan," she accused.

"You took the ring already," she reasoned. "Or are you going to give it back?"

She kissed her. "Who in their right mind would return a ring like that?" she whispered. "Lead the way."

They walked to the bedroom and lay side by side. Sheryl noted that Ranka picked the same side like last time. Then the events of that morning flashed through her mind. "Say, Ranka..."

Already, Ranka was snuggling against her. "Hmm?"

"Was it your first time back then?"

She blushed scarlet, warming the skin on Sheryl's breast. "Yes," came her meek answer.

Her heart glowed with delight. "It was my first time too." She leaned in and captured her lips.

Lying side by side was much better. Her freed hands slid across the smooth skin of Ranka's arm and slipped down to her waist. Then her fingers felt the hem of her blouse. Her hand swept up to uncover the side of her stomach. When her fingertips caressed her skin, Ranka giggled in between kisses.

"Don't distract me," complained Ranka as she continued savoring the Fairy's lips.

"I just want to feel you," whispered Sheryl. Her hand slid across her back and unhooked her bra.

Ranka's eyes flicked open and she broke the kiss. "I thought you planned to take it slow."

Sheryl withdrew her hand hastily and turned away. Her hand gripped the bed covers to keep itself from wandering. Holding back was so much easier before that fateful day. But now, her body knew Ranka's touch and temptation was difficult to resist. "I... I'm sorry. I thought since we already... you know... that maybe it's ok... but if it bothers you, then I'll wait."

Ranka was surprised at how disappointed she sounded. She cupped her face between her hands and gazed at her worried face. "You want me that much?"

"Yes," she confessed softly. "Since that night, I dreamt..." Then she bit her lip. She had said too much.

Unfortunately, Ranka pressed on. "What did you dream?" To loosen her tongue, she kissed near her mouth and slipped her hand under her blouse.

"I dreamt of you..." She swallowed as Ranka's hand drew lazy circles under her blouse. "We were in bed like this and we were kissing."

"Go on," coaxed Ranka as her fingers traced the cloth of Sheryl's bra. Meanwhile, supple lips kissed the nape of her graceful neck. Just like in her interviews, Sheryl had a habit of saying too much. With the right encouragement, Ranka wondered what the Galaxy Fairy would reveal.

Before she knew it, Sheryl ended up describing her dream in lucid detail while Ranka touched her underneath her blouse. "What have I done!?" thought Sheryl. "Of all the perverted things to tell her!"

Ranka kissed her and gazed into her eyes. "Some say dreams represent our unconscious desires. Were you planning on doing all that to me?"

"Not really..." Sheryl looked away from that probing gaze. In response, Ranka trapped her head so that there was no other place to look but her face. Those reddish-orange orbs demanded an answer. Helplessly, she nodded.

Ranka gently tugged at the hand gripping the bed. When Sheryl let go, she guided her hand underneath her own blouse and positioned it near her bra strap. Then she leaned in to kiss her.

Sheryl's heart drummed in her ears. Her excitement rose as she loosened the bra to uncover the treasure that it protected. Many kisses later, their garments were discarded over the side of the bed.

She gasped as Ranka nibbled her ear. "No fair... I... I was supposed to do that!"

"And let you have all the fun?" whispered Ranka as slipped her leg between Sheryl's. She slid it against her until Sheryl reacted with a satisfactory whimper.

Sheryl tilted her hips forward as she hugged Ranka closer. When Ranka pushed against her, she threw her head back with eyes partly closed and delirious with the sensations of the contact.

Just then, a voice squeaked out of the bracelet. "Miss Nome? Are you alright?" came Dr. Jenus' voice.

They froze. Sheryl lifted her hand and stared at the blinking red light on the bracelet. She cleared her throat and brought it near her mouth. "I'm fine," she said unsteadily.

"Oh, thank goodness! We were getting erratic readings and then your heart rate just shot up, so we just wanted to check."

"Please don't worry. I'm fine," she said hurriedly while Ranka rested her head on her chest.

"In that case, please be sure to get some rest. I suggest going to bed early or taking a nap."

"Alright, I'll do that. Thank you for checking."

"Good-bye." The red light blinked off.

"Should we stop?" asked Ranka with a playful smile.

Sheryl smirked slyly. "You heard him. I have to go to bed. Doctor's orders."

However, Ranka did not move. "Maybe we shouldn't go too far. Your heart is going pretty fast."

"I can handle it!" protested Sheryl. "So... can we?"

Ranka rose to her face and nibbled her nose. "Just once, ok? You've been through a lot. When you've rested more, we can do more, just like you dreamt."

In response, Sheryl kissed her excitedly. Ranka kissed her back with equal fervor. Soon, their lips and hands explored each other in a dance choreographed to the melody of their passion. With each soft gasp that escaped from Ranka's lips, Sheryl's hand journeyed lower and lower until it reached her abdomen.

A knock on the door stilled them to silence. "Yo, Sheryl... Ranka... It's Alto."

Sheryl's first impulse was to scream and tell him to go away, but she could never do that to Alto. Reluctantly, she stole one more kiss and sat up. "We should see him."

Ranka closed her eyes and nodded in agreement. As quick as possible, they dressed up. Instead of brushing her hair, Sheryl tied it with a hair band. Then she went out first and closed the bedroom door. She opened the suite door and forced a normal smile.

"Alto!" greeted Sheryl.

"Hey," said Alto as he offered a decorated get-well bouquet and gift basket. "You're looking good."

She accepted graciously. "Yes, thanks to everyone. Have a seat." She gestured to the sofa. "Lisa told me what you did for Ranka. Thank you."

"No problem," said Alto as he sat on the sofa. Then his eyes fell on the wooden stick on the side table. "Someone sent you a lovestick?"

"No." Sheryl prayed that he would not ask further as she unpacked the gift basket. "Want something to drink?"

"Green tea, if you have it." Although he was curious, Alto kept quiet. It was not his business anyway.

Sheryl darted behind the bar and picked a teacup. "Coming right up."

Ranka came out when the tea was ready. They talked about the past week while snacking on the treats from the gift basket. As they chatted, she could not help but be amused as Sheryl consistently glanced at the clock.

By the time Alto left, the clock read 3:21 AM. As soon as they heard the elevator doors whirring shut, they reached for each other and kissed longingly. Within minutes, they slipped under the covers in bed.

After many kisses, Sheryl gathered her courage again and directed her hand towards her goal. After she passed her belly button, Ranka spread her legs more. Encouraged by her action, Sheryl's hand crept lower.

Another set of knocks echoed from the suite door. "Ranka, Sheryl... it's Nanase."

Sheryl pounded on the bed with an exclamation of frustration. She stared at Ranka who sighed.

"We have to see them," said Ranka sadly.

Once again, they dressed up. Sheryl opened the door to the suite. Nanase stood smiling with Luca. Everyone exchanged hugs and greetings.

Nanase lifted a bag. "We got you dinner, but they told us you went home, so we came here instead. I hope you're hungry!"

Sheryl accepted the bag and forced a cheerful smile. "That's so nice of you! Come on in!"

Nanase walked in and immediately saw it. "A lovestick!" she exclaimed. She picked it up and turned to Ranka hopefully. "Did Alto give it to you?" They had passed Alto's car while they were driving to the hotel.

Ranka replied casually, "No. Sheryl gave it to me." She took the yaribue from Nanase.

Sheryl almost dropped the bag. She walked hurriedly to the table and turned away to hide her blushing face. She could not believe that Ranka said it. Quietly, she unpacked their meal.

A few seconds passed before Nanase spoke. "Sheryl... did?" Confusion reigned in her voice. She watched Ranka as she walked to the side table by the sofa and picked up a small jewelry box. Then she laughed. "Gee, Ranka! You almost had me fooled there!"

Ranka simply smiled and flicked the lid of the jewelry box. Nanase's jaw dropped.

"Girl, now 'that' is a rock!" said Nanase as she took box from Ranka. Her eyes examined the gem greedily. Then her eyes darted between Sheryl and Ranka before staring at Ranka incredulously. "Don't tell me..."

"I'm not joking," said Ranka as she retrieved the box from Nanase.

"What?! Since when?"

She checked the clock. 4:12 AM. "Well, officially, at midnight, about four hours from now." From the corner of her eye, she saw Sheryl twitch.

Nanase sat down on the sofa and patted the cushion. "You're not making any sense. Sit down and explain everything from the beginning."

"I will, Nana-chan. But not right now. Dinner is getting cold."

"Ok, but I want a full explanation later."

They enjoyed dinner with animated conversation. After dinner, Ranka thought they might stay for karaoke, but Nanase insisted on leaving.

"Sheryl needs her rest, y'know. She shouldn't stay up so late." She winked knowingly and guided a confused Luca to the door.

Ranka noted the subtle innuendo. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she goes to bed early."

When they were sure that Nanase and Luca were safely away on the elevator, they half ran to the bedroom. While they were kissing passionately, the fire alarm rang.

Sheryl groaned about the ruined mood. "Why is this happening?"

Ranka giggled. "Didn't I tell you..." Sheryl's index finger on her mouth stopped her sentence.

"No, don't say it... it's just a coincidence! It must be!"

They did not have time to debate since Pvt. Porter was knocking on the door. As they were escorted to the armored van, Sheryl asked, "How can you be so calm at a time like this?"

"Well," said Ranka slowly. "It's all a matter of perspective." Amusement danced in her eyes.

Then she realized. "You... you were watching me... all this time... I was so nervous and frustrated while you were enjoying yourself!"

Ranka broke out in a fit of laughter and covered her mouth. "All those expressions on your face... I've never seen you like that!"

About an hour later, they were allowed back into the building. A malfunctioning detector set off the alarm. Sheryl gritted her teeth in irritation when she heard about it.

As soon as they returned to the suite, they resumed once more. Ranka leaned in and kissed Sheryl deeply to wash away her frowning face. She felt her relax and she hugged her closer. As she did so, Sheryl slid her leg between hers. She gasped as her wetness coated the top of her thigh.

Trembling fingers approached the junction of her legs and Ranka tilted her hips in invitation. Then in the distance, a familiar voice sang.

_aimo aimo [5]_  
_neder rushe_

Ranka projected her thoughts. "Ai-chan, stop." Ai stopped and she sensed the Vajra girl's confusion.

"Why?" asked Ai.

"Please don't. And don't listen. Keep watching Hope."

"Ok," said Ai. However, Ranka could sense Ai's trailing thoughts as her presence left her mind. "Humans are strange..."

In the living room, her phone belched. It was midnight. Ranka hugged her tightly and whispered, "We're official now."

Sheryl's jaw dropped. Ranka cupped her face between her hands and kissed her tenderly. "Go on. I'm yours tonight."

With a wide grin on her face, Sheryl took the plunge. With every gasp and cry, Ranka's body quivered beneath her like caressing ocean waves.

"You're just like Mao," Sheryl thought. "You wrap me in your warmth and invite me to see your hidden wonders and explore your depths. Will you show me your greatest treasure?"

Eventually, her persistence paid off when Ranka arched against her and clutched her tightly, her nails scratching across her back. "Aaaahhh... Sheryl!"

Satisfied, Sheryl slumped down and rested her head on Ranka's chest. Ranka's voice still rang in her ears, singing the depth of her love. Finally, she heard her true song. It was a wonderful treasure indeed.

Meanwhile, Ranka was drowning with the sensations surging within her. She had expected it to be like the first time, but this time was much different. This time, her mind was not muddled in some Vajra induced state. She was more aware of Sheryl's touch and each moment burned brightly in her consciousness. She stroked those golden-coral tresses in gratitude and held her Galaxy Fairy quietly while basking in the waves of passion. When she was ready to return the favor, Ranka nudged her. "Sheryl?"

Instead of an answer, a slow, warm breath tickled her skin. Ranka smiled gently and carefully moved her sleeping Fairy to a pillow. Then she closed her eyes and talked to Ai. When she was done talking, she kissed Sheryl's lips gently.

"Sleep well, my sweet Fairy. I love you." She snuggled against Sheryl and went to sleep.

* * *

Cathy signed another bill and stamped it. With a careless toss, it landed on pile before her. Her eyes noted the time: 11:02 PM.

She leaned back into her chair and stretched. At least two hours had passed since she started on the paperwork. About half an inch was left. As she reached for the next one, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened to admit Ozma. "Hey," he greeted gruffly. He walked over with a backpack slung over his shoulder and sat on the chair in front of her desk.

Cathy beamed him a welcoming smile. "Hi. What brings you here so late?"

"I called your house and your butler said you haven't come home. So I thought I'd check here." He eyed the pile of paper. "Can't someone help you with that?"

"My aides already have. I just wanted to look over them before I sign it."

"You're too thorough sometimes. You gotta trust your people more."

"That's the problem. They haven't earned my trust yet. I want to rely on their work, so I want to make sure that it's up to snuff."

"It can't be helped, I guessed. You don't know 'em till you've worked with 'em." Given her father's betrayal, he understood that she could not immediately trust someone who used to work under her father's administration. The search for those involved with Leon was still going on and everyone could be a suspect. However, he did not come here to talk about politics.

"Hey, Cathy... have you... ever liked another girl?"

Cathy did not bother to look up. "Is this about Ranka?"

"Well... er... not really. But anyway, have you?"

Cathy fought the urge to yell at him. Why talk about Ranka when they had so little free time together? However, he looked really worried, so she kept her cool. "No. You know my preferences."

Ozma coughed into his hand. "Can you tell if a girl likes another girl?"

She sighed and continued authorizing colony paperwork. "Why are you so worried? She's old enough to decide on her own. Besides, she's quarter zentraedi. Even now, some zentraedi prefer cloning with the same gender rather than mating."

"Really? How many?"

"About 37% of males and 29% of females, which by the way, includes your Capt. Clang and Lt. Rora who have been to a cloning facility."

"What? That can't be right! You're pulling my leg!" exclaimed Ozma.

"I'm just repeating what my aide told me."

"There can't be that many who clone..." muttered Ozma.

She continued in her most brisk, business-like tone. "I receive a monthly report from the cloning centers. The government has to keep track of its future citizens whether conceived naturally or otherwise. Anyway, you should let her deal with it. You can't be mothering her forever."

She leaned back into her chair and clasped her hands in front of her. "My father tried to do that. After I became Ms. Macross, he expected me to go into show business, be famous and marry the son of one of his friends. So when I told him I'd join the army, he went ballistic. Now that he's gone, I realized how hard it was for him. Parents want the best for their children, but in the end, they have to stand back and let their kids make their own decisions."

She paused for a moment before picking up her pen. "And just so you know, I'm Sheryl's official guardian until she turns 20 or until one of her relatives on Earth decide to replace me. So if you don't have anymore questions, I have some requests that I need to file." There, that should put the last nail in the coffin.

Ozma sighed defeatedly. If he had to deal with Cathy, he might as well give up. "Sorry to disturb you about it. So, if you don't mind, lemme make it up to you." He opened his pack and extracted a canteen, a container and utensils. Then he poured hot zencoffee from the canteen into her cup. "Just ground a batch this morning. I also baked some pineapple pie."

The enticing aroma of the zencoffee filled her nostrils. She picked up the cup and took a sip. "It's good." She eyed the pie. "Thanks for the coffee, but I'll pass on the pie."

"Oh, come on! I spent half the morning on it."

"Your pie is awful. I've rewritten my instructions several times, and you still messed it up."

"But this one's different! My best one ever." He grinned proudly.

Just to humor him, she decided to try it. "Really?"

"It's to die for."

"God, I hope not." She nibbled a piece. "Looks like I'll live..." Then she slipped a spoonful into her mouth. It was just the right balance of sweet and sour.

"See? Told ya." He poured himself some zencoffee. "Anyway, if you don't mind the company, I'll stay till you're done."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

* * *

Sheryl yawned and stretched. Although the carrier's bed was adequate, she slept better on the hotel's luxurious mattress. After stretching, she allowed her arm to fall across the bed. It landed on the covers with a soft thud.

The thud set off an alarm in her head and she turned to stare at the empty side of the bed. Her face paled and she sprang to her feet.

"Ranka!" shouted Sheryl as she dashed to the living room. To her horror, no one was there. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Was last night a dream?

The sound of the balcony door sliding caught her attention. Tears of relief trickled down her face when she saw that familiar green hair and reddish-orange eyes.

Ranka went to her immediately. "Sheryl! What's wrong?"

Sheryl hugged her tightly and cried into her bosom. "Don't leave me like that!"

She kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry. You were still sleeping, so I thought I'd make us some breakfast. Don't worry. I'm not going away." She lifted her chin and wiped away her tears with the top of her index finger. Then she kissed her. "So don't cry anymore."

"When I woke up and you weren't there... I thought I lost you again."

She kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I'll stay until you wake up, ok? Now, let's get you some clothes." Ranka stood up and pulled Sheryl to her feet.

Sheryl blushed scarlet. In her haste, she forgot that she was naked. Immediately, her arms covered the front of her body.

Ranka laughed at her reaction and took her hand. They went to the bedroom and picked out an outfit to wear. After Sheryl was properly dressed, they sat at the dining table for breakfast.

While they were eating, Sheryl's eyes wandered to the clock. It read 11:43 AM.

"Did you fix the clock?" asked Sheryl.

"Yes, that's the correct time."

If that was true, then she had slept for at least ten hours. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's fine. I snacked on the leftovers from Alto."

When they were finished with breakfast, Sheryl asked casually, "So... when's our next date?"

Ranka gazed at her with narrowed eyes. "A normal date or a Mayan date?" When her Fairy blushed, she guessed what was on her mind. "For that you have to wait till midnight."

Sheryl stood up and leaned over the table to steal a kiss. When she pulled away, she leered at her. "You know I don't like to follow the rules. And besides, I think you owe me one."

"It's not my fault," said Ranka as she stood up. "You were asleep."

"I'm awake now." Sheryl slipped her arms around her waist and captured her lips. A few moments later, Ranka's tongue requested entry. She parted her lips in welcome.

They barely heard the balcony door open. "Again?" asked Ai.

Reluctantly, they parted. Ai walked over to them with the newly molted Hope in tow.

"Hope!" cried Sheryl as she threw her arms around Hope's green carapace. Hope chirped happily. Gently, she probed Hope's mind and confirmed her health. She turned to Ai. "Thanks for watching over her."

"The queen helped Hope. Why did you send me away?"

The sadness in Ai's voice surprised Ranka. For a few moments, she thought about Ai's question. Since the queen was looking after Hope already, there was no need for Ai to be there. Furthermore, they could always ask the queen for Hope's status through the flow. Ai had seen through their excuse. She had to tell her the truth.

"Ai, sometimes humans want to be alone with the one they love."

"Ranka not love me?" Her voice trembled.

"Of course, I love you! But each human has a special person they love most and sometimes they want to be alone with that person."

For several moments, Ai was silent. Then she spoke slowly, "Humans do not love each other the same. Humans love one person most and breed alone with that person."

It was a strange way of saying it, but in essence, it was true. "That's right," admitted Ranka.

"Are you going to breed now?"

Both of them blushed. Ranka cleared her throat. "Well, we want to..."

Ai grabbed Hope's claw. "We watch TV in Ranka's house. When you breed, we go there. Is ok?"

She broke out in goosebumps. If her brother knew what they were doing, he might go crazy. "No! Don't go there! If you ever meet Ozma-nii, don't tell him that we're breeding!" She turned to Sheryl. "Is it ok if they stayed?"

Sheryl sighed. She preferred to be alone with Ranka, but there was no choice. "Well, we can't hide what we're doing anyway, so they can stay."

Ranka handed Ai the remote. "Ai, you can watch TV here. Don't go into the bedroom, ok?"

"Ok," said Ai as she accepted the remote. Then she asked, "Why breed again? Sheryl is healthy now."

This time, Sheryl answered, "Ai, humans don't breed to evolve. We breed to show how much we love each other."

"Humans are strange," concluded Ai as she sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. Meanwhile, Hope landed on the cushion next to her.

Abashed, they went to the bedroom and closed the door. Sheryl kissed Ranka's forehead. "I guess we'll just have to be discreet.'

Ranka leered at her. "If we can't stay here, why don't we go somewhere else?"

"Where?"

After Ranka explained her idea, a wide grin blossomed on Sheryl's face. "That just might work!"

They stuffed the pillows and blankets into a suitcase as well as a change of clothes. Then they told Ai that they were going to be gone for a few hours.

Ai stared at them. "I understand." Then she returned her attention to the TV.

Her simple statement indicated that Ai realized what their intentions were. They walked out to the balcony and summoned a Vajra. Their Vajra took them to a carrier and dropped them near its fold reactor.

Ranka commanded the carrier to seal itself so that air would not escape. Then she asked it to go into orbit. The carrier obeyed and ascended to space. By the time the carrier reached orbit, they had unpacked the contents of the suitcase and made a secured hammock from the bed sheets and covers. They crawled in with their pillows and snuggled against each other as they floated between the sheets.

"This was a good idea," said Sheryl as she nuzzled Ranka's neck.

One by one, their clothes floated away from them. When the air grew cold, Ranka commanded the carrier to warm up the reactor which glowed a dim purple as it generated heat.

With trial and error, they managed to find an optimal position that prevented them from floating apart. A little more practice was needed to minimize crashing their teeth and to fine-tune their kissing. Finally, they literally got the hang of it and directed their efforts to exploring each other.

Ranka's hand felt its way down Sheryl's body. Never in her wildest dreams did Ranka imagine that she would end up with Sheryl like this. She gazed into those light blue eyes and hoped that she was worthy of the Galaxy Fairy. When her hand reached its destination, she waited until those eyes pleaded for her to continue. The tilting of Sheryl's hips was her cue. Ranka braced her leg behind her hand for support and began her performance.

As Sheryl squirmed, they bounced inside the area enclosed by the sheets. Ranka learned to time her motions so that it coincided with the impact of the bounce, thus accentuating the resulting kinetic vibration. When properly executed, Sheryl would quiver in response.

Floating felt very different. With gravity, at least a portion of the body was in contact with the bed and was therefore inaccessible. But in this case, Ranka had access to all of Sheryl. Her only regret was that she only had one free hand. Just then, she had an idea. She commanded several small tentacles to caress Sheryl's skin. Some went to the back of her neck while small tendrils stroked her firm buttocks. Another set played with the back of her knees. Then Ranka reserved her free hand and lips for Sheryl's bosom.

Sheryl broke out in goosebumps at the multiple sources of sensations. As it went on, she moaned, "Aaaahh... ahh... this is... too much..." Tears and saliva floated away from her eyes and mouth as her mind involuntarily lost control of her muscles.

With every movement, Sheryl's gasps and moans increased in frequency and intensity. Finally, the Galaxy Fairy cried out in bliss, "Oh... oh, Ranka!"

Ranka exhaled sharply as Sheryl's crushing embrace forced the air out of her lungs. "Too much..." she squeaked.

Sheryl relaxed and kissed her. What started as a warm glow ignited into a supernova. Its resulting shock waves reverberated through her body and sent heavenly thrills down her spine. "That was incredible..."

Tears formed in Ranka's eyes and floated away in little beads. There was a place for her in the Fairy's sky.

They continued their weightless dance of desire for the next hour and a half. When their reserves exhausted, they decided to go home.

As soon as they descended to the mothership, they received messages that could not be delivered when they were in orbit. For Sheryl, it was the scientists who were worried about her vital signs. For Ranka, it was Ozma who did not find her at Alto's house.

It was easy for Sheryl to reassure the scientists. For Ranka, they came up with an excuse of visiting Nanase. After a quick call to Nanase who agreed to play along, Ranka reluctantly hopped on a Vajra that would take her to Nanase's house.

"I'll try to see you tonight, but Ozma-nii really wants me to come home."

"If you don't, that's ok," replied Sheryl. She held Ranka's hands between her own. "There's always tomorrow." She kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." Ranka let go and commanded her Vajra to fly.

Sheryl watched her for a while before riding her own Vajra. She yawned and flew back to the hotel. It was time to get some real sleep.

* * *

As she feared, Ranka did not come that night. Sheryl was about to call her when her phone rang with Cathy's number displayed on its screen. "Hello Cathy."

"Hello Sheryl. Are you well enough to come to a meeting this afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Good. It will be around 2 PM. We would like to plan our strategy against Grace's clones. Your input would be appreciated. Lt. Maxwell will pick you up. I'll see you then."

"Good-bye." Sheryl hung up. She wanted to see Ranka now, but prudence dictated that she lay low for Ozma.

Meanwhile, Ranka received a similar call during breakfast with Ozma, Brera and Ai. When she hung up, Ozma asked her.

"Was that Cathy?"

"Yes. She wanted me to come to a meeting at 2 PM."

"We'll be there too," said Brera while cutting up a sausage.

Ozma's face hardened. "Will she be there too?"

"Who?" asked Ranka innocently.

"Sheryl."

"Most likely," replied Brera. "She'll be needed on the other carrier, so she'll have to know our plans."

Although Ozma did not say anything, Ranka knew him well enough to sense his dark mood. After breakfast, Ranka and Ai went to her room to study. It was all she could do until the meeting.

* * *

They met at City Hall. Sheryl steeled herself and tried to act casual as Ranka, Ai, Ozma and Brera took their seats at the farthest part of the table from her. Nearby attendants went to them and served coffee and treats.

Reluctantly, she looked away and noted the other people in attendance. The Protoculture scientists were there, of course. Captains Wilder and Stirling were exchanging war stories. Judging from their uniforms and goggles, some Galaxy personnel sat together, each one staring off into space. To Frontier people, they would look strange, but to Sheryl, she was certain that those goggles might be part of some cybernetic implant to allow them to view data discreetly.

The door opened and Cathy walked in with her aides. "Welcome, everyone. Thank you for coming to discuss this very important matter."

Cathy took the seat at the head of the table. "First, let us present the facts as we know it. Ms. Fung, if you please."

The room dimmed and the projector displayed a slide. Then Ms. Fung summarized the events that occurred since they landed on the planet. Sheryl sat quietly and listened until the lights came on again.

Cathy stood up. "So ladies and gentlemen, what are we going to do about it? As it stands, Grace has probably made at least two other clones of herself. We can wait until we run into her, but that is a passive approach. Let us put your thoughts on the table and try to sort out a solution."

For the next thirty minutes, everyone shared his or her ideas. Each idea was analyzed and its advantages and disadvantages were examined.

The technical discussion was over Ranka's head. She did not even know why she had to come. She stared at the table and watched an ant crawl to a crumb.

Then she heard someone say, "She's a pest that needs to be exterminated!"

Ranka's eyes widened and when she looked up, she locked eyes with Sheryl. For a few moments, they stared at each other. Then Sheryl's eyes filled with encouragement and her lips drew taut with determination. She nodded slightly.

Ranka drew strength from that and took a deep breath. "Excuse me..."

The conversation died down and eyes turned to her. She cleared her throat. "We've been thinking of ways of tracking her and attacking her. What if we let her come to us? What if we prepare a trap for her?"

"There are lots of Vajra nests in the universe. Even if we find the ones closest to us, it will take a lot of time to put traps in all of them," said Capt. Stirling.

She hoped that she could change their perspective. "When Ozma-nii finds ants in the house, he doesn't use bug spray. Instead, he baits them with special ant food. The ants bring it to the queen, she eats it and it poisons her and any of the eggs that she lays."

Brera's fist pounded on the table. "I see... we take advantage of the weakness of her cybernetic flesh."

The Galaxy personnel began whispering excitedly. Cathy clapped to get their attention. "Please hold your opinions. I believe Ms. Lee hasn't finished yet."

Ranka smiled at Cathy gratefully before continuing. "What if we can find her weakness and explain it to the Vajra? Then the Vajra can adapt themselves so that they can poison Grace as soon as she tries to take over a nest."

"Is that all, Ms. Lee?" asked Cathy.

"Yes," replied Ranka.

Dr. Jenus spoke first. "Since her clones have to merge with the queen in order to take over the nest, then the clones would become poisoned."

"What if the clones switch to a full metal body?" asked one of the Galaxy scientists.

"Based on the data from Galia 4, the Vajra can generate an interference field. It would block or disrupt the clone's neural net," said Dr. Zore. "If the Vajra can evolve to make themselves poisonous to cybernetic flesh, then all that's left is for each queen to recognize the clone and react to it."

"Between Ranka and I, we can tell the queen how to do it," said Sheryl. "I've explained technical subjects to her before and she was able to understand."

The mood of the table shifted to hopeful euphoria. Little by little, their strategy was defined. The scientists, bioengineers and Galaxy cyberneticists would team up to produce several sample poisons that would corrode cybernetic flesh. They would also provide samples of flesh so that the queen could learn how to recognize it. The cyberneticists would create a report to explain the types of interference that was fatal to a cyborg body and give the report to Sheryl and Ranka.

When the samples and reports were ready, Sheryl and Ranka would explain it to the queen. If they were successful, then the queen could try to produce larvae that had the desired characteristics. Once the proper larvae hatched, the queen would propagate the information to the other nests.

Since the evolution process would take some time, the Galaxy engineers could add the new uni-link technology to the sensor systems. The modified sensor array would be used as a long-range scanner to find the stolen biogenerator and detect MDE bombs. If they could retrieve or destroy the biogenerator, then that would stop the spread of the clones. Once they found it, the Quarter and the Vajra carrier, now named Crevasse, would launch.

Everyone left the meeting in high spirits to start on their assigned tasks. Before they got into their respective vehicles, Ranka and Sheryl cast longing looks at each other. Sheryl stood by Lt. Maxwell's car and watched Ozma's car leave the parking lot.

"Soon, it'll be over," said Dr. Jenus.

"Yes, I hope so."

"What will you do then?"

"I guess, go back to singing. My manager's already postponed my concert."

"Ah, a pity. With your intuition, you would make a good scientist."

Sheryl stared at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "I know... I see her in you... your grandmother, that is." He offered her a card. "If you ever want to do something else other than sing, call me. I can arrange an internship and a recommendation to Frontier University."

"Thank you," said Sheryl. "But I don't think I'll give up singing. It's been part of my life for so long."

"You don't have to. Your grandmother didn't. She was in the university jazz band."

She pocketed the card. Having options was never a bad idea. "I see. I'll keep it in mind."

"Well then, take care of yourself. We'll have those samples ready soon." With that, he walked towards the lab shuttle.

The scientist gave her a lot to think about. "The future... I must plan for the future. Ranka..." It was then that she realized that there was something that needed to be done. She turned to Lt. Maxwell.

"Lisa, I want to talk to Cathy."

"Let's go now, before she starts something else."

Hurriedly, they walked back to her office. Cathy rose from her seat on their entry.

"What brings you back?" asked Cathy.

"I'd like to do a press conference. I want to stop the hate."

Cathy's eyebrows rose. "This is about Ranka, isn't it?"

Sheryl nodded. "I'm the Galaxy Fairy. They would listen to me."

"Very well. Have a seat. Tell me what you plan to say."

Sheryl sat down and drew a deep breath. For the next thirty minutes, she composed her speech on the fly while Cathy's aide jotted it down. Then Cathy went over the speech and proposed suggestions.

The aide handed Cathy the edited speech and she reviewed it. "It's good. We'll send you a copy and put it on the teleprompter. When do you want to do it?"

"As soon as possible," replied Sheryl.

"Alright. I'll alert all networks and have it in conference room 1 at 10 AM tomorrow. Is that ok?"

"It's perfect."

Cathy stood up and held out her hand. Sheryl shook it. "I wish you luck. This takes a lot of courage. I hope you understand the implications."

"If I don't do this, Ranka's efforts will be in vain. She'll be afraid to sing."

"And you don't want that, do you?" asked Cathy softly.

Sheryl blushed slightly. How much did she know? "I want a world where she can sing to her heart's content. That's not a bad thing, is it?"

"It's a worthy cause for love." Cathy returned to her chair and smiled gently. Then she picked up a digipad to read.

By now, her cheeks were aflame. Sheryl quickly left the office with Lt. Maxwell following behind her. What Cathy said was embarrassing, but it struck directly at the heart of the matter.

She loved Ranka's voice. When she first heard her sing, something stirred within her and she stopped Ranka on the street on impulse. Since then, she wanted to hear more. "I won't forgive anyone who silences that beautiful, innocent voice."

As they drove back to her hotel, Sheryl clenched her fists. "Don't worry, Ranka. I'll protect your true song."

* * *

Cathy started the press conference by giving a speech thanking everyone who helped with the colonization. Then she reported the prison terms of the people who attacked Ranka.

She ended by saying, "Those who undermine colonization efforts and harm innocent citizens by breaking the law will be dealt with severely. Now, I'd like to present Frontier's ambassador to the Vajra, Miss Sheryl Nome."

The reporters cheered as Sheryl stepped on the stage. When she reached the podium, she raised her hand and waited for them to quiet down. Then she took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Thank you for coming. First of all, I would like to thank the Central Government for keeping things in order in the midst of all this chaos. Second, I would like to thank the army for protecting us and assisting the government. Third, I would like to thank the Vajra."

A deathly silence filled the room. "Yes, I would like to thank them. As you all know, this planet is the Vajra's homeworld. A few days after we landed here, a Vajra mothership arrived. They did not want to fight. In fact, they wanted peace. As the Vajra ambassador, I have studied them and taught one of their queens about human culture."

"As I learned about them, I discovered that the Vajra are not insects like we are led to believe. They are a sentient race." The room echoed with soft whispers. Sheryl cleared her throat to get their attention. "I have been teaching them our language."

That was the cue for Hope to fly on stage. Increased movement in the crowd indicated that some reporters were panicking. At the same time, flash bulbs fired. Sheryl gestured towards Hope and spoke louder.

"This Vajra will give a demonstration. Ms. Vajra, please write the letter A." In her mind, Sheryl imagined Hope taking the marker from Lisa and using it to write A on the poster board that was held by Kim. When Hope finished drawing a crude letter A, Sheryl continued, "As you can see, they are quite intelligent."

"So, that begs the question, why did we fight them? Through some research, I have discovered that flow crystals are formed within their bodies. Flow crystals are necessary for interstellar travel." A faint murmuring rose from the crowd.

"I see that some of you are making the connection. The Vajra were seen as a resource for flow crystals. To those who wanted to control interstellar travel, it was necessary to find a means to control them and harvest the precious flow crystals. Because of this, an elaborate plot was hatched to manipulate the colony into attacking them. There are too many details to go over right now, but I'm sure President Glass will have another press conference about it later."

Purposefully, she excluded the information about Grace. The Vajra were sentient, but they were very vulnerable to a direct mental attack. The last thing she needed was another Grace-like enemy hacking into the Vajra mind. The flow crystal plot should be sufficient enough to serve her argument. "In the end, the Vajra had to protect themselves. However, a full-scale war was prevented due to the efforts of Macross Quarter and our own President Glass. They uncovered the plot and freed the Vajra from the true enemy's control. The colonies, as well as the Vajra, were victims."

"So if any of you assume we defeated the Vajra, think again. The Vajra outnumbered us and yet, they left this planet." She added more emphasis in her speech. "We did not drive them away. They left on their own. Why? Because they understood that we meant no harm. They understood that we needed a world, so they gave it to us with the intention of cultivating peace with humanity."

She gestured to Hope again. "They have sent their own ambassador to learn about us so that we will never fight again. So if anyone out there ruins the peace between our races by hurting the Vajra or by hurting those involved with the Vajra, you will be found and punished. Hate will not be tolerated. I am more than willing to protect this peace even if I have to fold the offenders off this planet myself. That is all. Thank you for your attention."

As reporters elbowed their way to the stage with their microphones out, Cathy took over the podium and hoped to calm them down. Since it was a live broadcast, it was too late to undo the damage of Sheryl's concluding statement about folding the offenders off. There was a more diplomatic way of stating that point. She should have told Sheryl to stick to the script and opted for a taped broadcast.

* * *

In the Lee residence, Ranka cried into Ai's arms as she watched the broadcast on the terminal in her room. Sheryl was trying to carry her burden. Although she was worried about the Galaxy Fairy, a part of her was happy that she defended the Vajra.

Downstairs, Ozma watched Cathy field the reporter's questions as Sheryl was escorted off the stage. He downed the rest of his beer. "She's got guts, that girl," he muttered.

"Yeah..." agreed Brera. "Looks like I'll have to protect her too."

"You don't have to."

"If something happens to her, Ranka will be very upset."

Ozma shot him a piercing look. "How much do you know?"

Brera matched his stare. "Enough to hear her cry for her every night."

Ozma crumpled the empty beer can and threw it at the wastebasket, knocking it over. "It's not right. She needs to get a real boyfriend."

Brera stood up. "She's already decided and I support her decision."

"You're spoiling her," he growled.

"She's my sister. I want her to be happy." With that, Brera went to his room.

Ozma banged his fist on the coffee table and then cradled his head between his hands. He was fighting a losing battle.

* * *

The following three days was torture. Sheryl would only see Ranka during their lessons. Ozma was there and they did not dare hold hands.

Finally, the scientists announced that the samples were ready. Sheryl and Ranka studied the reports. When they were ready, brought the samples to the queen. The queen listened attentively until they finished their explanation.

Tentacles picked up the samples. "We shall try."

The next day, Ozma told Ranka and Ai over breakfast that the Quarter was leaving to do a sweep. "We're gonna find that generator for sure. Until then, you two look out for each other."

Ranka was trying her best not to sound too happy. "You too, Ozma-nii. And don't worry. Lisa's squad has been pretty good in guarding me."

Ozma gulped his coffee. "Gotta get going. I'll send you a message once we're out there."

Ranka saw her brothers off at the door. When Ozma's car rounded the corner, her shaking hand drew out her phone from her pocket. Impatient fingers dialed her number.

The voice that she longed to hear answered, "Hello, Ranka."

"Sheryl! Ozma-nii and onii-chan are leaving on the Quarter today!"

"What time?" asked Sheryl excitedly.

"Around 10 or 11."

"Do you want to have lunch together after the lessons?"

"Yes! Definitely! I'll see you at the ship!"

"Ok, Bye!"

Ranka hung up. The long wait was over. Her anticipation of their date distracted her through the morning lessons. After an hour, the queen ended it.

"You are not listening!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Go and breed. When you are done, return."

Both of them blushed brightly. Neither of them concentrated on preventing the queen from reading their surface thoughts. At least, the scientists could not understand her.

They went to Sheryl's hotel and ordered lunch. While they were waiting, Ranka reached into her purse and extracted a jewelry box. She offered it to Sheryl. "For you."

Sheryl opened the box and was surprised to see another starfire gem mounted on a ring. She looked at the ring closely and recognized Mayan decorative patterns etched on its mount. "It's beautiful!"

"You like it?"

"Yes!" Then her faced grew concerned. "It cost a lot of money to have your gem cut. The jeweler had to buy new tools since it was harder than a diamond. I hope he didn't charge you too much."

"Not much," replied Ranka. "Ai found several gems, so I picked the nicest one and bargained with the jeweler. He lowered the price a lot when I told him I'd give him two gems. And Ozma-nii doesn't know since I used the money from my pro account."

"I see..." Her arms wound around Ranka's neck and she drew her into a kiss. "Thank you."

Within minutes, they ended up in the bedroom. Ranka whispered softly in Sheryl's ear.

"Say, Sheryl..."

"Hmmm?"

"Can we... try some of those advanced yoga poses?" she asked coyly.

Sheryl's jaw dropped. Ranka was becoming more daring. In voice rising with excitement, she replied, "Sure! As much as you want!"

They did a lot of yoga until the hotel staff delivered lunch around noon. After lunch, they continued where they left off.

After several tantric poses, Ranka felt that strange feeling of butterflies in her stomach. The feeling was similar to the one she felt when Sheryl showed her the pose for the first time. The feeling increased with every pose they did. Then Sheryl pushed her down.

"Do you feel it?" asked Sheryl with half-lidded eyes and rushed breath. Her hand rested on Ranka's abdomen. "Because I certainly do..."

"It tingles... inside..." replied Ranka whose skin was prickling against Sheryl's hand.

Sheryl's hand crept lower. "I guess I'll have to do something about that..."

Ranka gasped at the sensations within her. For some reason, her flesh seemed more sensitive.

Meanwhile, Sheryl's heart was soaring with every melodious moan and cry from her beloved. "Yesss..... let me hear it..."

Ranka's body quivered as the swarm of butterflies fluttered wildly within her. Her hips shifted and her pelvic muscles contracted in an effort to uncage its wild flight. Sweat rolled down her forehead with every futile effort. As she spasmed uncontrollably, Sheryl tickled her ear with a soft tease.

"Shall I release it?"

Ranka shouted in frustration, "Yes!"

Sheryl grinned evilly. "Then I shall open the lotus blossom." Her fingers pushed deeply and drew circles against that tense flesh.

Ranka screamed as the butterflies rushed out from her abdomen and spread down her spine. The flight of delicate wings tickled sensitive muscles and nerves, causing them to contract for a moment and then relax. Her arms slid off Sheryl as her body twitched in the throes of pleasure.

She lay there panting for several seconds. Then Sheryl pulled her to lie on top.

"Now, do it to me..." came her urgent request.

"Wait..." replied Ranka weakly. The sensations were still surging within her and her mind was in chaos.

"Please..." pleaded Sheryl. "Just touch me..." She guided Ranka's hand.

Ranka sighed. "You're so demanding..." She pressed against her.

Strangely, each soft gasp from Sheryl seemed to give her strength. After a couple of minutes, Ranka was able to gather her wits and tried to imitate what Sheryl did. Soon, Sheryl's body was reacting just like hers did.

Between gasps, Sheryl whispered, "Now... would be good..."

However, Ranka tried to wait a little longer just to punish her for being so demanding and not letting her rest. Unfortunately, she could not resist those pleading sky blue eyes. In preparation for that inevitable crushing embrace, her free arm shielded her ribcage. Then she complied and watched her beloved's lotus blossom unfold.

Her eyes tried to take in every quiver and spasm on that lithe body while her ears recorded every passionate note. She waited patiently for Sheryl to finish savoring the sensations. Then Sheryl pulled her in for a deep kiss and whispered.

"Want to do it again?"

"Only if you tell me where you get this incredible stamina."

A wicked glint flashed from her eye and she simply smiled. "Just a lot of yoga."

Ranka giggled. "I guess I need to do more, huh?" With that, she dove in for another kiss.

They continued their amorous training until they exhausted themselves. Around 4 PM, they returned to the mothership to continue their lessons. Although they would much rather be in bed, they wanted to be prepared for battle.

Until they received word from the Quarter, they attended their lessons and taught Ai and Hope. At night, they enjoyed their newfound pastime.

Two days after the Quarter left, they received the message that the generator was found. Hand in hand, they boarded the carrier Crevasse and folded over to where the Quarter was. Once there, Ranka transferred to the Quarter.

After the briefing, they commenced the operation. The valkyrie squadrons from the Quarter would land on the planet to find the generator and attempt to secure it. If that was not possible, it would be destroyed. The Crevasse would provide backup.

As soon as they folded near the planet, hundreds of Vajra attacked. With the coordinated effort between the Quarter and the Crevasse, the enemy Vajra were either destroyed or converted by Sheryl and Ranka's singing. However, Capt. Wilder ordered all fighters to return to the carrier instead of advancing towards the planet. Then he asked Monica to do a sweep for MDE bombs. A few minutes later, Monica confirmed the presence of two bombs.

"Send the coordinates to Major Sterne. Tell him and the Crevasse to commence operation Dolza."

On the main screen, Brera's squads flew towards the planet. The Crevasse followed and provided cover fire. Meanwhile, the Quarter monitored the MDE bombs for activation. While the second wave of Vajra attacked, Monica detected a bomb activation.

"Relay the information to Major Sterne and the Crevasse," ordered Capt. Wilder.

Anxiously, the bridge crew watched them retreat. Since the Vajra were faster than the valkyries, two escort Vajra were assigned to carry one valkyrie out of the bomb's range. Then the bomb activated, carving a crater on the planet's surface. Held breaths were released when no casualties were reported.

"The generator is on the move!" reported Monica.

"Onscreen!" barked Capt. Wilder.

The main screen showed protoculture readings coming from a Vajra carrier that was flying into orbit. A large swarm accompanied it.

"Focus fire on the carrier, but proceed with caution! Grace still has one more bomb!"

Operation Dolza resumed to destroy the carrier. The large swarm formed a living wall and blocked any attacks thus sacrificing themselves to protect the carrier. After seeing this, Sheryl and Ranka concentrated and focused their singing on the swarm in an effort to convert them. Within seconds, some Vajra disengaged from the wall and joined their ranks.

"MDE activated! It's coming towards the Crevasse!" yelled Monica.

"Retreat!" commanded the captain.

Quickly, their Vajra carried the valkyries away from the bomb as fast as possible.

"Fold energy detected around carrier!" reported Monica.

With the bomb between them and the carrier, they had no choice but to keep their distance until the bomb went off. A few seconds later, the carrier folded.

Capt. Wilder banged his fist on the armrest. "Is the clone still on the planet?"

Monica checked her readings. "Affirmative."

Capt. Wilder waited until the bomb exploded. Then he announced, "All units to planet side!"

Once the Quarter reached breathable atmosphere, valkyrie squads launched and prepared to land on the planet. Then the Crevasse launched its Vajra fighters to protect the squads.

"Protoculture signatures detected! Displaying!" reported Monica.

The screen showed old Zentraedi warships and mecha on the planet's surface. Judging from the designs, the units were several generations back.

"So, you've kept an ace," muttered the captain. Grace must have salvaged them from a base that was abandoned by the zentraedi when they gave up their warlike ways. Then he smiled wolfishly. "Well, we have one too!" He raised his voice. "All hands prepare for attack mode!"

Sheryl and Ranka continued singing to distract the enemy Vajra. In some instances, they managed to convert them. They looked at each other through the open channel and smiled warmly. Then they returned their attention to the battle in order to command their Vajra.

Meanwhile, the Quarter provided cover fire for the valkyrie squads by focusing on the warships. It dodged skillfully through the barrage of enemy fire. When it could not dodge, it blocked an attack with the new barrier system.

The Quarter flew into the thick of the zentraedi fleet and pointed its arms at the sides of two warships. The main guns on both arms fired and the Quarter spun around, spreading its carnage in a deadly circle. Then it flew out of the maelstrom of explosions and fire. The mainscreen flickered to update the status of surviving warships. Captain Wilder smiled in satisfaction as 50% of the warships were wiped off the screen.

Across the skies, the squads engaged the zentraedi mecha. Alto grinned as a number on his display increased by one. Just then, his radar reported a mech on his tail. "Alright! Time to get another one!"

He dove through a cloud for cover and pulled back, using the wind resistance and gravity to stall in the sky. When he and the mech exited the cloud, they had traded places. His sights confirmed lock and his finger pressed the trigger. "Gotcha!"

The number on his display increased again. Brera's voice crackled in his helmet. "Don't get too cocky. We've just started." Brera's kill count was only 5 less than his.

"I can be cocky," retorted Alto as he blasted another mech. "I'm the one who's fighting."

Brera's eyes hardened. "No ghosts are helping me. The kills are mine."

"We'll just have to see, won't we? Don't die out there."

"Same to you."

On the ground, Ozma's squad engaged the land-based mecha. Using guerilla tactics in battroid mode, he found where a mech was hidden and blasted it.

"Move, ya slowpokes!" yelled Ozma as he left a trail of carnage behind him.

"Who's a slowpoke?" responded Clan who blasted a mech next to him.

"Sorry... I meant the others." He blocked an attack and blasted the mech's head off.

"Just don't get in my way."

He saluted her. "Of course. Ladies first."

In due time, the main body of the enemy Vajra and the zentraedi fleet was destroyed. The Quarter and the Crevasse focused their attention on the queen's nest. Sheryl spoke to Ranka through the open channel. "Let's end this."

Together, they concentrated and entered the flow hand in hand. Within seconds, they located Grace's clone.

"You!" yelled Grace in anger. "This is the third time! Don't you realize humanity's destiny?"

Sheryl concentrated with the flow and caused it to constrict around Grace. The clone trembled and choked in response. "I'll be the one asking questions. Why did you betray my grandmother? She trusted you, but you started a war behind her back!"

Grace threw back her head and laughed. "Peace with these worms? Her vision was too naive! Just because of her guardian bloodline, she thinks that she's sooo special. How dare she call herself a scientist and still believe in Mayan superstition. But I showed her who had the superior intellect!" Her malevolent gaze settled on Ranka. "And that goes for you, too! Your mother teamed up with her! She paid the price as well. Try as much as you want, but it'll be useless. As we speak, my clones are spreading across the Galaxy. There's no way you can find them all."

She extended her hand to Sheryl. "But serve me, and I will spare your worthless life when I rule the universe. Your blood may still be useful to find the Birdman."

"You greedy bitch," said Sheryl. "Evolution isn't achieved by war. Even the zentraedi gave up their warlike ways when they realized that. But it's too late to change your AI, isn't it? No matter where you are, we will find you. Goodbye, Grace." Then she and Ranka gave a silent command. "Now."

Grace screamed as the Crevasse's main gun bombarded her body. Then the Quarter followed up with its main guns as well. Sheryl and Ranka left the flow as soon as her presence dissipated.

Before leaving the planet, Capt. Wilder ordered a final scan. When Monica did not find anything, he ordered all units to return to their respective carriers.

As they flew back, Brera compared their numbers. They were even. He spoke into his helmet. "I guess it's a draw..."

Just then, Alto's valkyrie dove and fired. His shots hit a land mech. A missile from the mech flew off to the side. His kill count increased by 1.

"That one was still moving," said Alto smugly.

Brera zoomed in on the mech and protested, "That one is no longer effective as a unit! The launch pods were damaged to the point that it probably couldn't aim properly!"

"A kill's a kill." With a burst of bravado, Alto sped off to the Quarter.

Brera gritted his teeth in defeat. He hated to admit it, but Alto was right.

The fleet returned to Frontier in high spirits. Nyan, nyan was reserved in the evening for a celebration. When everyone had their preferred drink in their hand, they toasted each other in victory.

"I wish I could've seen it!" said Nanase.

"Don't worry! I recorded it! I'll send you a copy," promised Luca.

Nanase kissed his cheek. "Thanks, sweetie!"

Luca turned bright red while Ranka giggled at his reaction. Then she quickly glanced at Sheryl's table. She was sitting with the female officers on the bridge's crew.

Nanase noticed Ranka's behavior and refrained from teasing her. Her older brother was nearby and she did not want her to get in trouble. When Ranka told her all the details of their relationship, she felt uncomfortable at the idea that Ranka was seeing a girl, even though that girl was the Galaxy Fairy. However, the way Ranka talked about Sheryl touched her heart.

Resting her chin on an upturned palm, Nanase watched her best friend in amusement. "You've changed because of her," she thought. "You've grown wings and made it to the sky. Oh yeah... I really should give you that painting."

She had almost finished it before the battle for the planet. But after she was injured, she had to wait until she recovered before she could work on it again. Thank goodness Luca got it away from the school before the art room got bombed. She hooked arms with Luca and rested her head on his shoulder. "He may not be a Fairy, but he looks after me."

"Are you tired Nanase?" asked Luca with concern.

"No." She pecked him on the cheek again. "Just happy." Her smile grew wider as the temperature of his skin rose. He was so easy to read.

* * *

The next day, the Lee family had breakfast together. Ozma started the conversation by saying, "So, are you ready for school tomorrow?"

"School? It's reopening?" asked Ranka brightly.

Ozma nodded. "Yep. I've submitted Ai-chan's info. She's been admitted due to her special circumstances."

"Will Alto and Luca be there?"

"Yeah, but only part-time. They'll be needed on the Quarter on standby. Because they're already seasoned pilots, they've been granted a pass on all pilot courses. They're just going to the attend classes for their electives."

"What about onii-chan?"

"I don't need to." Brera tapped at his forehead. "I can upload all I need up here."

"But school isn't just about studying! It's about being with your friends, doing sports, and clubs! You have to do some clubs!"

Ozma leaned back and rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. Ranka had a point. Brera's brusque attitude made an unfriendly and elitist impression on a lot of the pilots. Going to school might make him more sociable. He slapped Brera's back. Hard. "You should! I'll submit your info today!"

Brera managed to avoid choking on his pancake. "Erhm... no, that won't be necessary..."

Ozma grabbed his shoulder firmly. "Listen to your brother, will ya? 'Sides, you've got a really popular sister. If you don't go, who'd keep an eye on her?"

Brera bristled at him. "Alright, I'll go."

"Atta boy! Hey, Ranka, ask Alto or Luca to get him his uniform and stuff, will ya?"

"Of course, Ozma-nii!"

* * *

Lunchtime at school was a reunion of sorts. Even though they selected a table at a far corner, the tables next to theirs were crammed with other students who were overtly taking pictures and sneaking adoring glances. The only one who was not annoyed at their schoolmates was Ai who sat next to her green-haired caretaker. She was definitely enjoying the new experience as she was constantly mistaken for Ranka.

"Why do I have to eat lunch with the lot of you?" said Alto. "Don't you know how dangerous it is to have all of us together?"

"I don't see any danger," said Brera who looked really handsome in his new uniform and was completely oblivious to the group of girls who stalked him in the hallways.

"But we missed you, Alto!" said Nanase who sat next to Luca. "We hardly spent anytime with you."

"That's right," said Ranka who sat next to a very happy Sheryl. "You should hang out with us instead of flying."

"Speaking of which, I need some help with some aerial maneuvers. You don't have class at 3, right?" asked Sheryl.

"Why me?" asked Alto, irritation marring his beautiful face.

"Because you're my s-l-a-v-e," replied Sheryl with a wink.

Immediately, Alto's fans squealed in the background, "Noooo!!! My Princess!!!"

Alto hung his head. How did he end up with such strange friends? He clenched his fist and looked up. "What about Brera or Luca?"

Nanase hooked arms with Luca. "Luca is posing for my class." When she saw the look on their faces, she added, "It's not what you think! Just for motion studies!"

"I'll be busy with composition class," replied Brera.

"Composition? Onii-chan is in the same course as me?" exclaimed Ranka.

"Yeah..." He tapped his forehead. "I can pretty much download anything I need here and my cybernetic processing unit runs millions of computations per second, so the science and math courses would be dreadfully boring. I'm already a good pilot, so that course is no challenge at all. But music... music is something you can't download." He placed his hand on his chest. "Music comes from the heart."

The echoing squeals of girls around them announced the formation of the Brera fan club.

* * *

Nanase felt like a piece of meat on display. Just around the corner, two shadows on the linoleum floor proclaimed their owners' presence. She whispered, "Say, Ranka... how do you manage it?"

Ranka whispered back, "I sorta got used to it, I guess. Just imagine they're not there."

A crisp click sounded from the window. "It's too obvious to ignore it."

"I'm sorry... if you want to, you can go ahead."

Nanase put an arm around her. She was not going to abandon her best friend just because of some stalkers. "Nope. You were the one who brought it up. We're gonna do this together."

"Umm... is Ai-chan going to be alright?"

"Don't worry about her. Vanessa's pretty good with beginners. I've seen her teach kids to draw. Ai will be painting in no time!"

They reached their destination. Nanase gripped the door handle and asked, "Ready?"

Ranka nodded. "Yeah."

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Together, they entered the cooking clubroom.

Heads turned in their direction. Within seconds, whispers spread like the scent of freshly baked cookies.

An upperclassman in a chef's outfit greeted them, "W-welcome! We are so honored by your visit, Ms. Lee!" And then he added, "And you as well... er..."

"Nanase Matsura."

"Welcome, Ms. Matsura! My name is Kyle Dixon. I'm president and head chef of the cooking club." He grabbed a pie from a nearby counter. "Would you like to try some?"

"Maybe later," replied Nanase with a dismissive wave. "Right now, we'd like to join the club."

The sound of the pie splattering on the floor was followed by ill-concealed squeals from the worktables.

After the club managed to sort themselves out, the president personally gave them a quick tour of the clubroom's facilities. He guided them to an unoccupied worktable and pointed to an open page of a cookbook. "Today's subject is pie. Please pick a recipe and try it. If you have any questions, just ask me or the other club officers who are wearing chef's hats."

They bowed. "Thank you for your help."

His ears burned like a lobster. "No need to thank me! I'm here to help new members."

Just then, the door opened again. "Oh, Ranka... Nanase... you're here too?" came that familiar lilt.

The room degenerated into chaos as Sheryl Nome stepped into the clubroom. Frantically, the club officers positioned themselves between Sheryl and the members who left their worktables.

"P-please return to your tables! Don't let your food burn!" shouted Kyle as he gestured towards the gas stoves.

At least five minutes later, the room had quieted down and Sheryl was able to make her way to their worktable. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well, you see, Ranka wanted to learn new recipes for her darl--- OW!" Nanase quickly shielded her previously unprotected rib cage. Meanwhile, Ranka's elbow was still within dangerous striking distance.

"Oh, is that so?" said Sheryl sweetly, as if discovering a forbidden secret. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I'm here for the same reason."

The side locks around Ranka's head crept forward in an attempt to hide her already blushing cheeks.

Given the remaining time, they settled on a simple apple pie. Nanase mixed the piecrust while Sheryl peeled apples for Ranka to cut.

"Ow..." exclaimed Ranka as she dropped her third apple on the cutting board. Her left index finger began to bleed.

"Ranka! You should be more careful!" Nanase took Ranka's hand and guided it to her slightly open mouth.

"Don't!" Before Nanase could protest, Sheryl reached over and slipped the injured finger in her mouth. For several steaming seconds, only the sound of simmering sauce slipped through the silence.

Sheryl pushed her tongue against the injury to stop the bleeding. When she released the finger, the room broke out in hushed whispers.

"Er... f-feel free to make use of our first aid kit..." Kyle offered the kit out.

Sheryl took it from him. "Thanks." Then she turned to Nanase and whispered hurriedly in the confused girl's ear. "I'm sorry, but don't ever do that to Ranka. You might get sick. I'll tell you later."

Meanwhile, Brera was picking up his composition sheets when his classmate held up his phone.

"Hey, Brera! Check it out! Ain't they hot or what?"

Several sheets slipped from Brera's folder as his classmate flashed a picture of Ranka with her finger in Sheryl's mouth. With lightning speed, he grabbed the phone and read the sender's and receiver's number. Using one arm, he kept his classmate at bay as he deleted the picture. Then he tossed the phone back. "If you get that again, don't you dare send it to anyone or I'll beat you up."

He gathered his things and strode out. Tonight was going to be busy.

* * *

His server sprites contained most of the damage. The only thing that he could not prevent was the gossip. The babble around their lunch table increased when Nanase unveiled the apple pie.

"The three of us baked it yesterday!" declared Nanase proudly. She distributed paper plates and forks. "Here... grab a slice."

Even after everyone around their table was served, there were still some slices left. While they ate, a freshman with glasses approached the table hesitantly. "Please... can I have a slice? I'll pay 50... no 100 credits!"

Before any of them could respond, two groups of students grabbed the offending freshman and hauled him out of the cafeteria. The members of the groups either wore an armband labeled 'Ranka Lee Fan Club' or 'Sheryl Nome Fan Club'.

Just then, an idea popped into Brera's head. Maybe, there was a way to police the gossip. He made a note to talk to the presidents of the Fan Clubs later.

* * *

Two weeks after school started, it was the beginning of the end. Sheryl was practicing with the student pilots while Ranka was running with the track team. Someone shouted, "It's leaving!" Like a wave, word spread and eyes turned to the sky. The mothership was rising from the crater.

Ranka threw a question towards Ai. "Ai-chan! What's going on?"

Ai answered, "Time to leave. Nothing to teach."

"But we haven't said goodbye!"

"Vajra do not say goodbye. If you want, go now. I come with you."

Already, Sheryl landed beside Ranka. She knelt down and extended her arms. "Let's go!"

Ranka nodded and allowed Sheryl to carry her. The flight suit's engines flared and they hurtled towards the sky. Together with Ai, they flew towards the mothership. Within minutes, they reached the queen's chamber.

"Where are you going? What about the plan?" asked Ranka.

"We have adapted."

Ranka's jaw dropped. "Then it worked?"

"Yes. Now we go to where the lost ones are. We will return them to the fold."

It took a few moments for them to realize what she meant. The lost ones were Vajra who did not have a queen as a result of the clones.

Sheryl spoke, "Thank you for teaching us. Will we ever see you again?"

The queen placed a hand on her torso. "We are here. When you wish to speak to us, call and we will answer. You can do it now."

Then they understood Ai's explanation why the Vajra did not say goodbye. Together, they hugged the queen's image. "Thank you."

The queen smiled warmly and left their minds. As they flew out the mothership, Ranka fought back her tears. A warm drop wet her arm. She looked up.

"Go on. It's ok. It's just us up here." said Sheryl in a trembling voice. She was clearly crying.

Ranka clung to her and cried at the parting of a dear friend.

"I go ahead. Nana-chan wait in art club," said Ai. Then she darted off towards the school.

High in the alien sky, they cried their tears away. They flew for a while and just enjoyed each other's company. Then Sheryl heard Ranka's voice.

"Sheryl?"

Sheryl blinked and looked at Ranka. She responded in her mind. "Ranka? Was that...?"

Ranka giggled, her lips unmoving. "I keep forgetting we can do this."

"Yeah. At least, I don't have to shout into the wind."

"Say, Sheryl... why are you still in the pilot's course?"

"Instead of transferring to Performing Arts with you?"

She twiddled her thumbs. "Yeah..."

"When I got sick, I realized that all I had was my song. I hated lying on that hospital bed thinking that I'm missing out on life. So I want to try different things." She paused. "But what scared me most was the possibility that I might be gone the next day. I've waited so long for you to catch up to me. I was scared that you'd be on stage, but I couldn't be there with you anymore."

"Oh, Sheryl..." Ranka kissed her cheek tenderly, warming it. "I'm sorry I made you wait."

"That's alright... in the end, you were worth it." She winked.

Ranka flushed scarlet. "There you go... teasing me again..." She rested her head on the flight suit's shoulder pad. "Are you planning to be a pilot like Alto?"

"Maybe... maybe not. I also want to try science and research. In fact, Dr. Jenus offered me an internship after I graduate."

"That's great!"

Sheryl winked. "Want to join me? Dr. Zore could always use another hand at field research."

"I'll pass. I don't like snapping flowers."

They laughed together and flew forward towards a future full of possibilities.

* * *

"Welcome to the 5th Frontier Festival! And now, a word from our President, Catherine Lee!"

Cathy took the podium. "Thank you all. I won't bore you with a long speech. I have the rest of the year for that." She paused as the crowd laughed and cheered. "And as promised, one word to describe this festival: Deculture!" The crowd roared. "I wish everyone a good time!"

Cathy left the stage and the performers for the opening act surged forward. Meanwhile, a young blonde-haired boy ran through the crowd.

"Michel! Come back here!" called a short blue-haired Zentran who was followed by a taller one.

A tall brown haired man with curly hair caught the boy and held him aloft by his waist. "Did you lose something, Major Clang?"

"Aw, c'mon, Unca Luca! Lemme go!"

Clan slowed down to a stop and swallowed lungfuls of air. "Thanks, Luca."

Before Luca let Michel Blanc Jr. down, Clan and Nene held his little fists securely. Clan scolded him, "Michel, if you run away again, I'm not buying you any cotton candy!"

"But Mom, my friend said that there's free Vaja-mon at the purple tent! What if they run out?" cried a frantic Michel, his eyes full of worry. Just then, something green and furry touched his cheek. His jaw dropped when he recognized it.

"A Vaja-mon!" He hugged the stuffed toy as he looked up to his new heroine. "Thanks, Aunt Nana!"

Nanase smiled graciously and ruffled his blonde hair. As the founder of Alien Kritters, she had access to samples.

"I'm not sure whether to be honored or insulted," said Ai. She held the hand of a young pink-haired girl who looked like a younger version of Sheryl. In turn, the girl clutched a Vajra larva under her arm.

Nanase winked. "But it's a good idea, right? It'll teach the next generation not to fear Vajra."

"I think it's a great idea, Nana-chan," remarked Ranka who walked over to them.

"How many eggs?" asked Ai with interest as she surveyed Ranka's belly.

"Only one," replied Ranka as she stroked her belly. "Humans usually just get one."

"Just one!? Hope and I have made hundreds already! In fact, she just had a fresh batch, so she can't be here." She gestured to the girl by her side. "That's why Sharon is here instead."

"Oh yes, Sheryl asked that you please don't make any more that look like us. People are starting to make weird rumors. By the way, is the Queen coming?"

"Yes. If you look over there, her entourage is coming out of orbit." Ai pointed towards the Queen's crater.

In the distance, they could see a fleet of Vajra buzzing around the mother queen. With her four wings spread across the horizon, she blocked out a good part of the sky. As she descended, the Vajra made way for her.

"Can she see and hear all the way over there?" asked Clan.

"She can, since we're here," replied Ai. "To her, we're like the multi-camera unit that humans have. She can sense anything we see, hear and feel. I'll be bringing her an extra large batch of fried mochi later. It's her favorite."

"Wow! That's something alright." Clan looked around. "By the way, where's Sheryl?"

Ranka checked her watch. "The aerial show is next. She'll be performing with Alto."

"With the new Fokker flight suit?" asked Luca excitedly.

Ranka nodded. "She just finished the prototypes. Come on. We can all sit at our special booth."

A few minutes later, a rainbow of colored smoke burst forth from behind the main stage. Seven fliers wove over each other creating intricate patterns over the crowd. Ranka quickly identified Alto as red and Sheryl as violet.

For several maneuvers, the fliers flew as a team. Then one by one, each flier did his or her own special maneuver. At the end of Sheryl's acrobatics, Ranka laughed when she saw that the violet streams formed the letter R and a heart. As usual, Alto's performance was both beautiful and daring.

After the performance, Sheryl flew down to the booth. She bowed extravagantly in front of Ranka. "I wish to put a star in the sky. Will you help me?"

Ranka stood up. "With pleasure."

Carefully, she settled in Sheryl's arms and braced herself. However, instead of an abrupt acceleration, the flight suit rose to the sky smoothly. "Wow... you did a good job."

"Alto's pretty impressed too. He abused it until the fuel cells ran out. He was forced to break his fall on a tree."

Ranka giggled at the thought of Alto stuck in a tree and being attacked by ferocious flowers. She gripped tightly as they gained speed and flew towards a Vajra carrier. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Where are we going?"

Sheryl winked. "You'll see."

They went to the reactor chamber. When carrier rose to folding altitude, Sheryl sang.

_Leurs coeurs, leurs coeurs [7]_  
_Dans le calme du ciel _  
_Il est revenu sur la fin du monde _  
_Apparaitre et scintiller _  
_Toutes les etoiles _

Although the words were foreign, Ranka felt its warmth. "What is that?"

"A lullaby. My mom used to sing it to me when I was young. C'mon." Sheryl grabbed her hand and led her to a clear carapace.

Ranka gasped. The planet below was not Frontier. "Is this... Earth?"

"Yes."

"When did we...?"

"You didn't feel it? We folded while I sang."

"Isn't this pretty far?"

"It is, but I figured it out this morning. I just couldn't wait to show you."

The carrier descended and flew over an island. Sheryl announced, "We're here."

They exited the carrier and flew towards a very large rock. They landed near a spring in the middle of the forest.

Ranka looked around at the painted structures that were illuminated by moonlight. "This place... this is the real Mayan island, isn't it?"

"Yes. This is where it all started. I brought you here because I want to link the future and the past. My grandma became a scientist in hope that she could figure out a way to find her sister."

"But it's been so long. Could she still be alive?"

Sheryl looked up at the stars. "I read grandma's journals. She believed in her, and I believe that she's still out there, watching over us. So in my grandma's place, I'll figure out a way to find her."

She held both of Ranka's hands between hers. "If it's alright with you, will you give birth to Sarah on this island?"

"Sarah Nome," whispered Ranka, feeling the gentle notes on her tongue. "I'd love to. It's perfect."

Sheryl's face brightened enough to eclipse the full moon behind her. She hugged her and kissed her forehead. Then she opened her mind. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. I love you."

Tears rose to her eyes at the flood of intense happiness from Sheryl. Ranka rose on her toes and kissed her. "I love you too."

A familiar voice rang in their minds. "I hate to interrupt you two, but everyone's asking where you are. The festival organizer is worried that both of you won't show up for the concert finale."

"Sorry, Ai-chan. We'll be right over," replied Ranka.

"Don't get 'lost'," said Ai with a mischievous tone. "I'll drag you back even if you're fooling around."

They sighed in unison and glanced at each other in surprise. They laughed at their synchronized reaction. Sheryl held Ranka's hand and they took one last look at the island before flying back to the carrier.

As the carrier ascended to orbit, Sheryl asked, "If I ever got lost, could you find me?"

"Of course, I can! Why bother asking?"

Sheryl looked away. "Just wondering..."

Ranka trapped the Galaxy Fairy's head between her hands and kissed her tenderly. "No matter how far apart we are, I can still feel your love. I'd find you, even to the ends of the galaxy."

Sheryl gazed at those luminous reddish-orange orbs that shone brighter than the stars around them and knew that it was true. She kissed her wife before raising steady eyes toward Frontier.

Their minds joined as one and they folded back home to waiting friends and family.

~ Fin ~

* * *

Music references:  
[7] Macross Zero - Akron

For more Sheryl/Ranka stuff, visit my website. Responses to reviews are in the forum.

**Thanks for reading!**

-cyr


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